Final Fantasy XXVII
by Sunburned-Stickperson
Summary: When troubles arise in the South, the heroes must rise to the call. Final Fantasy worlds/Assassins Creed characters
1. Chapter 1

Desmond scrambled up the side of the wall—he was sick of it, sick of being controlled. With a grunt, he landed, taking off into the grasslands of his homeland. He ran well into the night, until he hit the mountains, that place where the elders always said was dangerous. He growled: he wasn't going to let the mountains dissuade him.

"Desmond!"

He turned to see his friend, Lucy, running toward him. She stopped at his side. She was training to be a monk. He was stuck being a summoner—all because of a stone. He had found it on his adventures as a child, reveling in the way it had lit up at his touch and burned the hands of his enemies when they grabbed it.

"What do you think you're doing?" she barked.

"I'm running away."

"You're being stupid, Desmond. Let's get—"

"No!" he hissed. "I'm tired of being 'special.' I don't want to be isolated anymore. There's a world beyond here, and I'm sixteen, and I can do this. Others have already been sent away, and so am I."

"You're being stupid—"

"Shut up! _You're_ being sent off next year!"

He snarled when she winced. He looked up at the mountains, a tiny amount of fear nestling in the pit of his stomach. Then, with a flourish of his staff, he cried out, "Sylph!"

He laughed when a small fairy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes appeared and settled on his shoulder. It had been his first summon, after getting in a fight with a kid named Alan Rikkin. He had lost terribly, lying in the field and wishing he was dead until the fairy had appeared and healed him. He had stuck by his side ever since.

"Desmond, did you get in another fight?"

He shook his head, then paused. "Well, kinda. I just… I want to cross these mountains on my own, but I need a buddy."

He saw the fairy look behind him. "Is Lucy not coming?"

"No, she's just trying to get me to return, but I want to know more, Leonardo. I want to see what lies beyond here. Tell the others I've left, Lucy."

He nodded as he started walking off. He was going to cross the mountains on foot and earn his rights to be called a summoner. He grinned.

"Desmond, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Why did you tell me those stories if you didn't want me to get curious?"

Leonardo chuckled. "You are a smart boy."

He started quickly up the mountain, the summoner's robes making it hard for him to get past an awkward hop-skip.

"These mountains, yes? They are just like I remember! As a matter of fact, there is a cave around here, if you—"

"Lead the way, Leonardo!"

He laughed as he let Sylph take the lead. He called the summon Leonardo, and it didn't mind, taking to the name like a fish to water. The rocks were hard and painful under his feet, his summoner's sandals hardly adequate enough for a trip like this, but he was okay with it, because for once in his life, he was making his own choices, and he refused to let anything stand in his way now, he had Sylph, Adrammelech, Valefor, Asura, and Diablos on his side, and he could handle anything.

He followed Sylph for what seemed like hours before they arrived at a cave opening. It had been getting remarkably colder for going three-fourths of the way up the mountain. They weren't extremely high mountains. He was out of breath and his feet ached horribly, but he was determined to make this work. He could feel a biting cold at his neck, the robes much too thick to be penetrated, and he wondered just how cold it was here. They had winter for most of the year, and this was one of the warmest months of the year. Still, it was as if he were standing in the middle of winter. There was no foliage, and the animals were gone. It was a frozen wasteland. Thankfully, he felt almost immune to the cold. This cold was almost comforting, despite the fact that he could see his breath.

Without a second thought, he stepped in as Sylph settled on his shoulder.

He could hear something behind him as he walked in, and he turned to see Lucy come running in. Her lips were blue, and she was shaking. The monk uniform did little to keep her warm. Deciding it was for the best, he took off his outer robe and draped it around her shoulders, still not feeling the cold.

"D-D-Des-s-smon-nd," she stuttered.

"You go back home. I'll come back once I'm done, all right?" She gave him a pitiful look, and he grinned. "I'll be fine. I'm curious. You head back down, and I'll come back once I'm done. You win, and I win."

He watched her leave, and looked to find Sylph gone. He had probably gotten distracted. He walked in farther, exploring the cave and noticing how it got progressively colder, and yet, he was unaffected. He explored every nook and cranny, hoping to find a monster or two, but upon finding nothing, he was dismayed. He continued hunting, however, throughout three levels, picking up a rod he could use with a beautifully engraved snake carved at the head. He grinned as he tossed his other to the side and gripped his new one tightly.

Even deeper in the dungeon, when he was finally feeling the cold, he found a new robe and hat that seemed to be woven together with gems or crushed up ice. He tried it on, finding that it fit perfectly, and suddenly, it wasn't cold at all. He was glad he came here. The robe was beautiful, and so was the hat. He had never owned his own hat before, just a set of simple robes, but this new hat and robe combination was sure to make the others jealous.

He paced back out to the final door he had yet to open, and he peeked in. There was a floating crystal in the middle of the room, and he pushed the door open, stepping in. He took the time to marvel at the walls, watching the extraordinary light dazzle from within the sheets of ice making up the walls, and the path of rough ice that led to the crystal was amazing. He found himself stepping toward it before he knew what he was doing. The room was beautiful—ethereal. He could see blue flames inside the walls, below his feet, twinkling and playing as he walked to the crystal. Desmond eventually found himself reaching for it, only for it to flash brightly.

He cried out as he covered his eyes, and when it passed, he yelled when a face (it was _gorgeous_) appeared in front of him. The skin was light, but the black hair and the piercing blue eyes captivated him. The man was dressed in an extraordinarily woven cloak, wrapped tightly around him, and he was smirking.

"So," he breathed—the man's breath was _cold_, "you're the new summoner? I see you got my gifts."

He blinked, breath hitching when he walked his fingers up his chest, leaving a pleasant chill running through his body. He felt the hand plant itself on his chest, and the man leaned in. Desmond could _smell_ the cold in the room, and he knew he would be lucky to escape alive.

"Call me Kadar, but most know me by the name of Shiva."

His eyes grew wide: he was talking to a god.

"So," Shiva began, taking off the cloak and wrapping it around Desmond, "finally come to visit me?"

The cloak was warmer than it appeared, Desmond thought as he ran his fingers through the fine material. He looked at the thing, marveling in the way the lights twinkled and danced from it. He pulled it closer around him, even though he wasn't cold, and looked at the god again as it walked away. He blinked, feeling heat creep into his cheeks at the _lack of clothing_ it wore. There was a blue and purple length of cloth tucked around part of his waist, covering one of his legs and doing _absolutely nothing_ to hide the god's already scantily-covered crotch and ass. The cloth looked like those lights he often saw in the sky, and the bands of gold on the god's arms reflected the light the cloth gave off.

He moved forward slowly. The crystal had been replaced by a throne, and Shiva had sat down, crossing his legs and smirking at him. He felt tiny and insignificant.

"Well?"

He jolted. "H-huh?"

"You've finally come to visit me?"

"Uh, well, I…"

Kadar laughed, and Desmond found it just the littlest bit creepy and cold—like everything else. He noticed the long nails of the god, painted gold at the tips, the lithe fingers poking out of almost pink-hued gloves and gold rings adorning those hands. He was entranced.

"You know what this means, don't you?"

His eyes shot up to meet the god's, and he found himself caught. Kadar looked utterly amused at his expense, watching as he stared blankly at him.

"That means you're the chosen one. It's time to save the world, kiddo."

Desmond blinked, then frowned and scoffed. "You're an idiot."

Kadar threw his head back and laughed. "You are so naïve!"

He snarled. "What did you think! I haven't ever left the village, Shiva!"

Kadar smiled warmly at him. "Please, call me Kadar. You see, Desmond, there is trouble to the lands south of your village. Surely you know of the six crystals?"

"Yeah. They're buried underground. They keep the world alive and well, and give us magic."

Kadar purred, look utterly pleased. "Good, good. Now guess what you just discovered?"

Desmond wrinkled his nose. "There's no way that your crystal is one of them."

Kadar laughed. "You are just the most innocent thing! My crystal is the crystal of ice. There's also a crystal of fire, of water, of earth, of holy, and of darkness. To the south, far to the south, a man by the name of Alan Rikkin—"

"You mean that kid who beat the shit out of me when I was younger? I thrashed him right before he was sent off to wherever he was going."

Kadar blinked, then smirked. "Yes, Desmond, _that_ Alan Rikkin, has employed two men to torment two of the crystals, the crystals of earth and of darkness. Those lands are now plagued by suffering, and the towns along the coastlines to the southeast and southwest of here have been covered in a special fog made of a sleeping spell, slowing down all time. My brother, the fire crystal, lies at the border of spell, waiting and anticipating an attack from the Rikkin man."

"So how am I supposed to help?"

"We need you, Desmond, to gather us together and free the two tormented crystals from their agony—"

"How do you torment a crystal?"

Kadar blinked before smiling. "You will see. You will go there and _feel_ the agony they go through. I will accompany you on your journey. When you have soothed us all and united us, we will be able to go to the heavens, where will can show you to the final crystal, the crystal of holy power, and he can resurrect that beast around your neck. You will be able to smite Alan and his followers where they stand."

Desmond blinked, then pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

He opened his mouth, then scowled. "_That_ is the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever heard. Talking crystals and things popping out of stones and sleepy fogs and _tormented crystals_? Just how stupid do you think I am? I think Leonardo has really overdone it this time. That's it, I'm leaving. I should have listened to the elders. See you never."

He turned around and started walking off toward the entrance of the room.

"I suppose… it does sound ludicrous."

"No, shit, really?" he spat, turning on his heel and glaring at the god, only to find the bastard smirking at him.

It rested its elbows on its knees, smirking. "Haven't you always wanted to see the world? Go see for yourself."

Desmond frowned, staring at the god. He wasn't sure he believed the story, but now he had this burning curiosity to see. He jumped when he felt a weight on his shoulder, only to find Sylph there again.

"I would like to see. It has been many years since I have gone to see Ezio."

Kadar perked, rising and walking toward them. If Desmond hadn't been one-hundred percent sure he was straight, he would have gotten a boner from just the _beauty_ of the god. Kadar smiled warmly, holding out a hand, and Leonardo flitted from his shoulder to the hand.

"You know him?"

"Of course. I sought shelter in his temple when my forest was destroyed by Rikkin."

"That's just ridiculous," Desmond said, scowling. "Alan is only sixteen!"

"Alan used the body of a sixteen-year-old to attempt to kill you. He knew what you were. He's a powerful mage. I heard of him shortly after I was born. Did you know that—"

Desmond scowled. "Now I know—"

"Desmond, there are no others of my kind around here. You found me because I was curious about what the 'savior' might look like! I was glad I was! You've given me the best companion I've had in years!"

"There's no way. I don't believe it."

Leonardo smiled, flitting back to his shoulder. "Don't let it dissuade you, Desmond. Come: we should return. Tomorrow, we'll run away for good."

Desmond narrowed his eyes, scowling. "Fine—but I'm never listening to your crazy ideas again. I've got to just be exhausted."

Leonardo laughed as they walked out of the door, leaving behind Shiva. He paced back out, the feeling in his feet coming back after resting just those few moments. He hadn't even been aware he was so damn _sore_ until he had stopped his wandering and talked to that god, who, as far as he was concerned, was crazy. His legs hurt from walking up the mountain, his feet were rubbed raw and burning, and his arm and chest and head hurt from all the anticipation. He stepped to the entrance of the cave, thrusting his staff into the air.

"Valefor!" he shouted as Leonardo disappeared, and he hugged his favorite summon.

The giant bird screeched, stretching its wings.

"Ready to go back and get some sleep?"

He climbed on its back and grabbed a hold, loving the feel of the wind in his hair. Valefor landed almost soundlessly, and he climbed off, scrambling into his room and curling under the covers to ward off the chill that had settled in his bones. He stripped off his coat and hat, throwing them somewhere in his room and settling in his long-sleeve shirt and his pants. He summoned Valefor into his room, and the giant god-bird settled beside him on his tiny bed, covering him and warming him up nicely.

He woke the next morning he woke feeling warm and cozy. He had vague memories of the night before, something about a beautiful young person visiting him in his dreams and being warm in the cold. There were talking crystals and flames not melting ice. He had the most messed up dreams sometimes. With a yawn, he shifted to feel Valefor butt at his cheek. He grinned, opening his eyes and grabbing the bird's head, kissing its beak. The good thing about being a summoner was that he was never alone if he didn't want to be, and he'd be damned if he didn't feel lonely sometimes.

He relaxed, feeling comforted as he petted Valefor and scratched its cheeks as he cuddled. It was hard fitting the two of them on his bed, but he managed it, and he loved it. Valefor was probably the second best friend he had, but his favorite summon of them all. Leonardo was nice, but Valefor was simply his favorite. There was no way to describe it. Valefor jerked back, sticking its beak under its wing and grooming the feathers on its lower half, pulling out several feathers and gently placing them on his chest and face, getting mad when Desmond laughed.

He loved how heavy the god-bird was, and it always comforted him with size where Leonardo couldn't. As much as he loved Sylph, he just couldn't hug him the way he hugged Valefor. He found himself stroking the odd tail as it curled around them, and he smiled warmly. Between Leonardo and this beast, he had the best family—that was even before he got to Rauf, or Salai, or Talal.

He heard commotion downstairs, and a yell calling him to wake up and get his ass out here. He sighed, sitting up and dismissing Valefor as he looked out the window. There was snow everywhere, he noticed. Thick, icy snow they usually only got in the dead of winter, the kind that destroyed everything it touched. Yet, he mused as he placed a hand on the window, he didn't feel a thing.

Without a second thought, he ran downstairs and out the door, hoisting himself up on the three feet of compacted snow and ice. Snow was still falling, he noticed as he felt the wind blow sharply, piercing through him and leaving him. He still felt no cold.

"Desmond!"

He looked to see Lucy half-skating toward him, shivering. "Hey, what happened?"

"We don't know!" she breathed, and he could see her breath.

All of the other monks were gathering outside, bewildered by the snow in the middle of their sparse summer. He looked around at the strange snow. It didn't even seem like regular snow, and he could almost see it twinkling _blue _instead of blinding white. He squatted, trailing his fingers through the snow and frowning.

"I bet it's the freak's fault!"

His head snapped up to see a young boy standing there—his greatest rival now, Vieri Pazzi. There were a group of other boys (and a few young girls) behind him, all training to be monks. He scowled. The other monks were watching the stand-off, no doubt looking for gossip or a reason to dislike him more.

"It's not my fault, Vieri. Leave me alone."

"Or what? You fall to scare tactics using Lucy? Summoning a beast to fight for you? Why can't you fight for yourself? Oh, right, that's because you're not a monk. You're a _summoner._"

His fingers curled into fists, and he ground his teeth together. He wished he had his staff to bludgeon them over the head and kill them. He threw a hand up to the sky, ready to reign terror with Adrammelech, when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, freezing him in his tracks and sending a deathly chill to the center of his body.

"Such impudent young children."

He knew that voice from the dream he had last night. He lowered his hand slowly, looking toward the voice, only to find that he was staring at the most beautiful god he had ever seen.

"Kadar," he breathed.

Kadar looked at him and grinned, stepping forward and throwing him the cape that he remembered catching last night, too. His skin was a little bit bluer, and his hair seemed to have a blue hue to it as well. Nevertheless, he was still gorgeous.

"Oh, look, another faggoty—"

"Silence!" Shiva hissed, snarling. "I will teach you to shut your mouth!"

He watched as the god held up two fingers to his lips as his enemies gathered closer together, ready for a fight. When Lucy stepped closer to him, he noticed her shivering and wrapped the cloak around her. When Kadar spun, raising the ice around Vieri and his followers, Desmond was helpless to look away. He watched him spin and twirl, summoning ice and cold winds before gathering a huge ball of energy at his fingertips and shooting it at them, raising walls of ice around them and trapping them. He was entranced by the whirl of snowy-ice and the panic on his enemies' faces.

And was sealed it was the simple twist of his hand and the snap of his fingers, causing the ice coffin to implode with the kids still inside.

He blinked, watching as the ice vanished. He could see the kids collapse, and his eyes grew wide. This was the power of the crystal gods, and allegedly, they got stronger the closer to heaven they got. He was trembling with both fear and excitement as he saw red begin to seep across the pristine snow.

"So, ready to go help me help my brother?"

He looked back up to see Kadar smiling warmly at him.

"Lucy is included, you know."

He found himself nodding numbly as he was pulled over and begged with for a healing summon. Before he knew it, he was throwing a hand in the air and calling for Asura, who appeared with his tranquil face turned toward his targets. His multiple arms moved as it summoned forth healing from the earth, closing over the worst of the wounds before switching to the happy face.

"Rauf? Is that you?"

He watched the body unfold its legs and turn, the happy face pointed at Shiva. "Kadar?"

They hugged each other tightly, and Desmond bit his lip as the angry face showed.

"I haven't heard from you in years—not since I got the message to come and help the boy."

"My apologies, Rauf. I meant to contact you sooner, but Desmond rarely calls for your assistance with that little pixie thing of his."

Rauf shrugged, his face turning to the tranquil one. "Leonardo serves him well. He has had no need for more serious healing. But tell me, what have you been doing all these years?"

Kadar smiled. "Protecting you until Desmond found me. You know, the last time a human visited me at the crystal was several hundred years ago."

Rauf pursed his lips. "They had forgotten the old gods, for sure."

Kadar shrugged. "Well, we can safely say that world is long since forgotten. But now, it is time for a new adventure."

"Desmond will not be going anywhere."

He turned to look as his father came walking out, followed by the other elders of the village. They were the ones responsible for sending out the monks ready to serve and making all the decisions. Desmond frowned at his father, and he felt that icy arm wrap around his shoulders, Kadar's smiling face a little unnerving. The angry face of Asura was showing, and Desmond dismissed him quickly. Good things didn't happen with Rauf's angry face.

"Did I ask you?" Kadar said sweetly. "I don't recall asking you. Now where is your lovely jacket and hat, Desmond? I gave you all this snow and ice just for you to wear it."

"W-what?" he stammered, looking up at the god. "But I'm not cold!"

Kadar laughed. "It will protect you from ice magic. Off you go, go fetch your cloak and hat and get ready—we leave in ten."

Desmond's eyes grew wide, and rather than end up like Vieri (who was currently being carted back to his house), he skirted the elders and slid into the house, racing up the stairs and looking for his cloak. By the time he was back in his room, he remembered lending his cloak to Lucy, who had been freezing at the mouth of the cave.

And then it caught his attention. There was a gorgeous cloak and hat lying on his floor, rumpled up and forgotten. He blinked, walking over to them and picking them up. So his dream wasn't a dream. It had been real, and there actually was a god that wanted him to go see the world—a god that would _accompany_ him to go see the world. Maybe it wasn't so bad to be special after all. He slipped one arm inside the cloak and tugged it on, feeling just how perfectly it fit him, and he decided he'd let Lucy wear the hat. She hated the cold, and couldn't wait to be sent off to the kingdom at the base of the volcano a few miles away from here. It was a two-days' trip on chocobo—five days' on foot. Maybe, since he had taken Lucy flying before, they could get there on Valefor. Then he could drop her off, and continue on whatever Shiva wanted.

With excited trembling, he opened his door and grabbed his leather boots, his sandals destroyed from yesterday. Besides, the boots, however thin, would be better than the sandals. As the "outcast" of his village, he wasn't exactly given the best gear to work with. The hunting knife he was given for part of his survival gear—it was rather dull, for no one actually expected him to survive in the wild—found its way into the back of the belt around his pants and the small length of rope he tucked into his cloak. He took the small canteen and the folding silverware he had stolen from another kid, and grabbed the flint—that he had stolen from his father, just so he knew it would work. He took the only staff in his room, beautifully carved and cold to the touch, and walked back out. He smiled as he walked over to Lucy, who he realized wouldn't have any survival gear until she turned sixteen and was shipped off, and placed the hat on her head. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek, pulling it off to look at it.

"It's beautiful," she murmured. "Did you get it in the cave with that cloak?"

He nodded as she put it back on. It looked good on her, and it wouldn't hinder her when she trained.

"Good. Now we're all settled and ready to leave. Let's go to the kingdom of Ethaea and help my brother!"

He looked at Kadar, then glanced at the elders, then to Kadar again.

"You can't leave, Desmond. We forbid it," one of them hissed.

He couldn't keep the shit-eating grin off his face as he thrust his staff into the air and cried out for Valefor, who came spinning down from the heavens and stopped with a flourish of wing. He looked at Lucy.

"Do you want to come with?"

Lucy looked shocked, especially when the elders moved forward and Kadar stepped between them.

"Any closer and you'll end up like those kidlings over there who thought such insolence was a good thing," the god said cheerfully. "And I'll make sure that Asura doesn't help you."

"Will you come?" Desmond asked, tying to hide the hopefulness in his voice.

But Lucy must have noticed, because she nodded slowly, letting him help her onto Valefor's back. He climbed on behind her, and he hollered with joy as Valefor screeched and took off into the sky. Lucy was clinging for her life, and he had both arms in the air, his staff in hand. He could see the village get smaller and smaller, the white of the snow and ice melting into flash-frozen green and brown. And when they approached those mountains, he could feel the apprehension settle in his stomach—once he was over those, he was free.

As if sensing his nervous excitement, Valefor did a barrel roll as it flew through the mountain passages, and he whooped with delight. He loved this summon. He jolted when he saw Shiva appear beside him, skating on frozen air and matching Valefor's speed wing beat for wing beat. He grinned when Kadar looked at him and laughed, skating ahead, and Desmond leaned forward, pressing himself against Lucy as he urged his bird-god faster. Valefor did as it was summoned, loving a challenge of speed and skill, and soon enough, he and his summon were doing circles and rolls around Shiva, who looked utterly surprised.

When they settled for the late evening, he dismissed the creature, who was exhausted, as Lucy tried to regain herself. He led her to a log as Shiva landed beside him. There was beautiful powdered snow around them, as if summer had just skipped right over them, and he grinned, stomping once in the snow and reveling in the footprint he made with his boots.

"Impressive."

Desmond grinned. "It's how I entertained myself."

"For almost ten years he'd spend _hours_ in the sky, training that wretched creature to be swift and agile," Lucy murmured, still shaking from the flight.

"I take it that you aren't a fan of his flying?"

"Not at all, I'm always afraid he's going to die."

Shiva nodded slowly. "I suppose you two must eat now. I'll go hunt something for you, stay here and stay safe."

Desmond nodded as Shiva left, turning back to Lucy. "Sorry."

She shook her head. "It's okay, Desmond. You didn't know I hate heights."

"Then what would you have done when you were sent to fight at the borders?"

"I would've been placated by the volcano and how warm it is."

He chuckled, sitting down. They were quiet for a moment before he heard something walking toward them, and he smiled when he assumed it to be Shiva returning already. He was confused when he saw two wolf-like creatures loping toward them and a pile of moving jelly with eyes. He rose, going to step nearer to it, but Lucy grabbed the back of his cloak.

"Those are monsters, Desmond. Ignore them and they might not attack us."

He paused, looking at her before sitting back down. When they came closer, they stopped, looking at them before the wolves started to growl and Lucy rose, adjusting her cap as she crouched in her standard fighting form.

"Just stay low, Desmond, I'll take care of these guys."

He frowned: he didn't want to let her take care of all of them. He rose. "No."

"Desmond. Do as I say. I can handle them."

"No, I don't want to have to patch you up later," he growled, stepping behind her slightly.

He couldn't defend himself as well as she could, but he could certainly try. He jerked when one of the wolves went to bite Lucy, and she grunted as it attacked, leaving a nasty-looking bite mark that he would have to heal later for her. He raised his hand to his lips, deciding to try out the one summon he had promised not to use unless he was in a "real fight" (which loosely translated as "I'm a coward, and I know you'll never actually get in a fight").

He heard Lucy gasp, and hardly saw the flash of white fur coming to attack him before he felt the rune appear below him, stopping all time as he lowered his fist, twirling the staff with ease as he felt the power building behind him. He could see the wolf, paused mid-air as he felt the dark magic summon the one summon he never thought he'd get to use. He heard a roar, knew it was here, and stepped back. He let the giant creature of red and green armor step forward as time began again, and he watched the god of lightning brush the wolf aside as if it were nothing.

"Talal!" he yelped when he saw the pile of jelly attack with a small blizzard.

Talal snorted and raised a fist behind his neck before throwing the hand out and summoning lightning from the heavens. The wolves yelped, and the jelly jiggled. He watched as several corpses were summoned from the ground, and Adrammelech stepped back a bit, letting the corpses work on the jelly thing and the wolves.

"Against my weakness, too. Shoulda known you'd be a bastard enough to do that to me!"

He heard the lightning god laugh as he summoned more lightning, and Desmond grinned as he saw Lucy step closer to him. The lightning ricocheted between the corpses, doing more damage than it should have.

"Who is that?"

"This? This is Adrammelech. He told me to never, ever summon him unless he was going to have a real fight. I got him during that thunderstorm several years ago thanks to Valefor."

She watched in wide-eyed wonder as Adrammelech continued to summon lightning. He alternated between that and a large arc of lightning that came directly from his fingertips, frying the jelly with it before obliterating the wolves with one last blast of lightning. Talal then snorted, crossing his arms and turning to him.

"That was it?"

"I'm sure you could hang around here more if you liked. There'll probably be more."

He watched the god think about it, then shrug. "You'll summon me again if you need me."

He dismissed himself, and Desmond grinned. "See? I can take care of myself."

He summoned Leonardo briefly to take care of the bite on her arm, and she smiled as she shook her head.

Shiva came stepping back to them. "Stay out of trouble?"

"Nothing Desmond couldn't handle."

"I feel the need to make a victory pose," Desmond said, grinning, "for proving that I could handle myself."

Shiva laughed. "You certainly wouldn't be the first. What happened?"

"He summoned some man called Adran-Adram-Adramleech—"

"Talal," Desmond supplied, watching as Shiva frowned.

"You use Adrammelech?"

He nodded, stepping back slightly as Shiva dumped an armful of various plants he didn't know existed on the ground. Strapping his staff to his back, he walked over to one of the carcasses of the wolves and dragged it over, where he cautiously stepped forward, taking the knife from the back of his belt and plopping on the ground, skinning the creature carefully. The dull knife made it hard, and he yelped when Shiva snatched it from him.

"Just who gave this piece of shit to you? This is ridiculously dull!"

He blinked as the god turned the blade into a sharp shard of ice.

"There," he said, disgusted, thrusting it toward him. "Use this. Careful—it's weak against fire and might return to its old form if used against it."

"I can't fight with knives anyway," Desmond murmured, gasping with delight at how easily it cut the skin.

"And if you give me those boots of yours, I'll line them with the wolf skin. For heavens' sake, even Lucy has better gear than you!"

He looked down, frowning.

"They haven't treated him well, there," Lucy murmured. "Not being a monk is a crime almost."

Kadar made a disgusted noise, and Desmond's head snapped sharply to see a small hut of snow rise from the ground.

"Right, well, you skin those and I'll give you better boots. Sleep in that tonight, and once we get to Ethaea, we'll get you properly equipped."

"I'll find us some firewood," Lucy said, standing.

As she walked off, he mused on her uniform. There were thick blue pants and white hand warmers, a hooded blue sleeved top that looked like it came straight out of a dojo. A yellow strip of cloth tied the top shut, and the black headband underneath the hat reminded him of just how powerful she was, and how she had been only ten days away from being shipped out—and how he had been ten days away from losing his only human friend. By the time she returned with the wood, he had the wolf skinned and handed her the flint as she started the fire. He began stuffing what was left of the meat with several of the plants Kadar had brought back after he cleaned out the unwanted organs and gave the fur to Shiva. By the time it was completely dark, the wolf was done roasting, and he had a pair of fur-lined boots. He was happy as he wiggled his toes.

There was nothing left but a skeleton by the time they were done, not having eaten all day long. Lucy was falling asleep on his shoulder, and he could feel himself getting sleepy. Kadar was watching them fondly, and he smiled sleepily at the god.

"Go ahead and sleep. I will watch tonight."

He went to say thank you, but it was interrupted by a loud yawn, and he stumbled off, helping Lucy into the igloo and curling up beside her. When he saw how big it was on the inside, he summoned Valefor inside to help keep them warm. There was no snow on the ground, and the ground wasn't all that soft like his bed, but Desmond decided it was the best thing that had ever happened in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

When he woke, he was warm and comfortable inside of the igloo, Lucy curled up with him and Valefor's comforting weight surrounding them. He slowly wiggled out, commanding Valefor to stay until Lucy woke, and paced over to the still going fire. He saw a lump curled up tight inside of a sleeping bag, and Shiva was nowhere to be seen. He tilted his head as he saw a green bandana sticking out of the bag, and a lump inside. He realized it must be a person. He jumped when he felt Shiva's hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at him.

"She won't do you any harm, and she was tending the fire since I couldn't. If you need me, summon me," he whispered, vanishing in a gust of cold, snowy air, and Desmond shivered violently, feeling the warming surge of power and the icy chill of Shiva flowing inside his body.

He grinned as he looked at his hands: he could officially summon the god of the ice crystal. He felt powerful, and a little shiver of power raced up his spine. He prodded the fire, digging out what was left of the herbs and walking over to the frozen corpse of the wolf. He tilted his head. The meat wouldn't have spoiled yet, not if it had been frozen almost immediately, and the frozen jelly stuff might actually taste good. He nodded once to himself, deciding he may as well try. He could call out Leonardo if he needed him. He skinned the wolf and cleaned it before he turned back to the jelly again. He could hear Lucy stirring in the igloo and dismissed Valfor. Then, he pulled his staff off his back and whispered for Sylph. He held out a hand, and the little fairy appeared, smiling brightly.

"Leonardo," he whispered, "is this stuff eatable?"

The fairy looked down at the frozen jelly, before turning back and nodding rapidly, flitting over to the lump and walking on it to the head. Desmond paid it no mind as he pried hunks of the jelly from the ground and carried it over to the wolf carcass. He cut out the stomach and cleaned it, setting the frozen jelly inside. After it had de-thawed, he stuffed it into the meat before setting it to roast.

There must have been something about the jelly, because this carcass took just a minute or two before it was done. Lucy had stumbled out, watching as he cooked and still in a waking up stupor. She watched Leonardo flit around the lump.

"Who's that?"

He shrugged as he used the knife to cut her some of the meat, placing it in the skin and handing that and the silverware he had taken with to her. He watched the jelly drip out with the plants. He took the stomach and stuffed more of the jelly inside, melting it before he drained it into his canteen and handed it to Lucy. She didn't think twice as she took a sip. She snorted, jerking the canteen away, wide-eyed.

"What is this?"

"It's that jelly thing Talal killed yesterday. Leonardo said it was safe to eat, so I figured…"

She blinked, looking at him before shaking her head again and taking another sip. "It's good to wake up with."

He chuckled, melting the rest in the stomach.

"Why didn't you use the bladder?"

Desmond blinked. "Do you really want to drink out of something that holds a wild beast's piss?"

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter if I want to—"

"I asked if you wanted to."

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. He raised an eyebrow right back. She chuckled.

"No, I guess not. Who knows what's in its pee?"

He grinned as he tilted the stomach back carefully and took a sip. Lucy was right: it was energizing. It tasted cold, despite being warm, and he could feel the mix of it sliding down his throat. There wasn't much of a taste, like drinking snow, except there was a hint of magic there, and he smiled. He could grow to like being an adventurer.

The lump in the bag stirred, and he saw that the green bandana was covering a head of short black hair. Two brown eyes heavily outlined in that paint that women sometimes wore peeked out. He smiled warmly, holding out the stomach.

"Would you like some? It'll wake you up."

He watched as she examined it, then slowly, two hands, covered with fingerless leather gloves, took the stomach and finished drinking the jelly in one fell swoop. He watched her twitch, yawn mightily, and climb out to stretch. Her collared, extremely revealing, white shirt came hardly down passed her boobs, and the sash tied around the extremely short shorts did little to hide her legs. It looked like she was wearing the same amount as Shiva—only she was freezing.

"You two are the two in that ice hut? Fuck. Must have been warm. Didn't know it got this cold up here. I thought it would be warmer like at the volcano. Shit," she hissed, sliding back into the sleeping bag and scooting to the fire. "What's cooking? Name's Rebecca Crane, by the way."

Desmond smiled. "Desmond Miles, and this is Lucy Stillman. The little fairy is named Leonardo. We live up here. It's usually colder, but—"

"Fuck! This shit gets colder? That's it, I'm heading home. Shaun lied to me. Fuck the treasure in that cave."

"Oh, it gets much colder, my friend," Leonardo said, landing on her shoulder as she examined him warily.

"Treasure? Cave?" Lucy asked, leaning forward as the teen brandished a knife from nowhere and cut herself a thick slab of meat, holding it as if it weren't still piping hot.

Rebecca nodded, ripping into it and talking even though her mouth was still full. "Yeah. Shaun said there was a cave to the north of here, holds a crystal of some sort." She paused, swallowing. "And I was gonna lift it and sell it."

Desmond laughed. "You can't do that. The crystal's too big, and beside, that's not the treasure you'd get."

"Well hell, what'd I get then?"

"A summon!" Desmond exclaimed. "Shiva, god of ice!"

Rebecca snorted. "Lame. I couldn't even sell that till that damn fog lifts from the south."

"Fog?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Rebecca said, and Desmond could feel the dread in the pit of his stomach, "it's covered most of the land, everything's still. No time passes. Nothing's up and moving. I've heard rumors it's coming from the underwater cave where the leviathan lives. Course, this is all from Shaun, who has more contacts than I care to count, but whatever. So, Shiva's up in that cave?"

He nods. "But if you're cold here, you'll literally die before you reach Shiva's cave. Besides, I already have Shiva with me. I don't think the crystal will be worth anything now."

Rebecca huffed. "Shit. I came all this way only to be stopped by two natives…" She narrowed her eyes, looking at him. "How do I know you aren't lying to me?"

"What?" he frowned as he cut himself some of the meat and ate.

He liked the taste of the jelly. It was refreshing and invigorating in combination with the herbs.

"How do I know you aren't just trying to keep me from stealing the crystal? Something like that would fetch good money."

He rolled his eyes, rising and dismissing Leonardo with an apology. He spun and twirled before he heard Shiva descend from the heavens, landing soundlessly on his toes and smiling warmly.

"Need me already?"

"She didn't believe me about your cave!" he exclaimed as he gestured to Rebecca, who was watching with wide eyes.

Kadar was still wrapped in his cloak, and Desmond was almost glad she didn't get to see him dressed in almost nothing. He smiled at her, and she swallowed, watching as he stepped forward.

"Ah, it's my cave you seek? Well, beautiful, I can tell you that you shouldn't go near it. A mortal like you wouldn't be able to enter, and as long as I am pledged to work for this boy, my crystal is shattered. There is nothing there for you, and I advise you not to go, but if it's treasure you seek, then might I suggest following this young man?"

She looked cautious.

"He'll be heading into the volcano—"

"How! That's impossible to get in and out of there alive with Ifrit killing any human within ten feet of the entrance!"

Shiva laughed, stepping over to him and messing up his hair. He gave a lopsided grin.

"Ifrit is my brother, and I promised him that as soon as the summoner was ready, I would leave to help him. And now, I have pledged service to Desmond, and together we will unite the crystals and destroy the Archfiend Rikkin."

"Oh," Rebecca said, her eyes still glued to Kadar. "I've heard of him."

Kadar kissed Desmond's head, and he shivered before the man dismissed himself. He looked at Rebecca, who was watching him as he sat back down and picked up his food. She pursed her lips, and he continued eating.

"Believe me now?" he said after he swallowed.

"So…" Rebecca began, getting a glint to her eyes that Desmond couldn't quite place. "You're heading off to _all_ the crystal caves? Allllllll—"

"Six," Desmond helpfully supplied.

"Six? Even the one in the heavens, allegedly?"

He nodded. "Yup. Apparently, once I have the other five, we can go to the heavens and summon the power of the holy crystal, who can resurrect this!" He showed her the necklace, and bit his lip to stifle his laughter when she touched it and burned her fingers.

"Hot damn, what is it?"

"It's… uh… something that'll help me kill Rikkin, I suppose. I don't know what it is, but apparently, it's important."

She eyed it contemplatively, and Desmond smiled.

"There was a kid back home who tried to steal it using thick gloves, and we found him shriveled up and dead the next morning."

She jerked, looking at him as if to say, "I wasn't thinking about stealing that." He simply kept smiling as he finished eating. Rebecca was quiet, and Lucy was regarding her cautiously. Finally, the food was gone, and the thief sighed dramatically, climbing into his lap and leaning back against him, giving him a clear view of down her already almost non-existent shirt as she wrapped her arms around his neck without turning around.

"I suppose I'll accompany. Promise me a share of the treasure, though."

He nodded, unable to help his eyes from drifting down to sneak just a look as she nuzzled against his neck. He swallowed, trying to keep his blood from pumping. He was teased back in the village for still being a virgin, but the only person he ever had eyes for was Lucy, and she wasn't a slut like some of the others. This, however, was something he wasn't used to dealing with.

"Sure. I wasn't planning on keeping anything that won't help us," he said absentmindedly.

Rebecca jolted forward, smiling and spinning around to face him, wrapping his arms around her waist and then wrapping hers around his neck. He fought to keep himself under control as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Excellent. Then I'll lend you my services once we stop and pick up Shaun."

Suddenly, all reality hit him and the heating of his blood went away at the prospect of another man. "Shaun?"

"Yeah. He's a pussy, though, so we might not want him with us for this trip."

"Rebecca, how about you help me get some more wood?" Lucy asked, rising and sounding a little terse.

She shrugged and got up, walking over to help her—but not before she gave him a good view of her scantily covered ass. His eyes were glued to it until she disappeared into the woods, and he jolted, summoning Valefor to keep his mind off her figure. It would do him no good to get excited on the road for a woman who was already taken. He had Valefor help him smash the igloo, which attracted the attention of several curious creatures with onions for heads and a creature that had two black ears that looked like leaves, and had fur at the bottom, as well as a tail that was bigger than the body. It was as red as some ripe fruit, and he found himself holding a hand out to one, amazed when it let him pick it up. It bounced in his arms as he stroked the fluffy ball of a tail. It was so soft.

"And just what are you?" he murmured.

Then, it disappeared in a puff of air, and he could feel his fingers tingling with the power of a new summon. He laughed and reached out to touch one of the onion creatures. The other fluffy creatures were goofing around in the mountain of snow, and he laughed again when the onion plant wrapped its arms around him and started playing with him. One of them touched his and disappeared in a puff of leaves, and his fingers tingled for a while. He had never thought that a monster would just give itself up to be a summon. He wondered what they would do. There was a small herd of them by the time Lucy and Rebecca returned. They didn't have wood, and Rebecca was sporting a nice lump on her cheek, but Desmond was too busy laughing as the onion things and the fuzzy bunny things smothered him, playing with the stranger in their forest.

"How the fuck does he do that? Wyrdhares _and_ Wild Onions?"

He cried out for help, Valefor having sided with the frozen forest creatures. Valefor backed off and stretched is wings, stirring up enough wind to put out the fire, and the creatures left him alone in favor of playing with the ashes. It took him a bit to calm down before Lucy helped him up, and he was panting, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"What are those?" he breathed eventually.

"The fuzzy things are Wyrdhares, good allies to have on the battle field, and even better to eat, and the onions are Wild Onions, filled with magic to come to life and excellent in stew," Rebecca said, turning to watch them carefully. "They sell well on the market, and the fuzzy little balls of a tail on the Wyrdhares—"

She was cut short when Desmond clamped a hand on her shoulder, narrowing his eyes when she looked at him. He frowned, and Valefor came waddling over, stretching its wings out and making itself bigger. Rebecca caught the hint immediately and smiled warmly.

"Just saying, if we're ever starving or strapped for cash."

"Don't even think about it," Desmond growled. "Any creature I summon will not be eaten. Period."

Rebecca's face flashed anger, but she said nothing, breaking his hold easily and waving a hand. "Fine. Whatever. Just wait until we haven't eaten in a few days. Let's head on to Ethaea."

He dismissed Valefor and picked up one of the Wyrdhares, petting it as they walked off. He trailed slightly behind them, the hares and the onions slowly dissipating until the only one left as in his arms, and he let it go. They had been walking for the better part of two hours before Rebecca paused, looking around and signaling for them to stop. Lucy was looking too, and he wondered what was going on until he saw Lucy crouch in a defensive position and Rebecca had her knife out. He blinked when he saw a twirling bunch of ice materialize in front of them, followed by two giant horned things that hopped like frogs.

He crossed his arms, raising his staff as he concentrated on summoning Diablos. He could hear Lucy grunt when one of the frog-things got her, and he swallowed. Rebecca cheered, and he threw his arms out and his head back, feeling the world drop away from him. He could hear the confusion of the others, and Rebecca cried out when the ice-thing hit her with a small blizzard. He could feel the dark magic swirl around him as he closed his eyes, the feel of the bats erupting from the darkness stinging his skin as they swarmed the enemy with their miniscule claws. It was followed by a chill as dark magic gripped his spine and a pool of purple swirling magic appeared behind him as the bats vanished into the quickly-forming ball. He watched as two black and blood red wings emerged, followed by a beautiful young man with fiery red hair and long black horns curving out of his head. His fingers were tipped with long claws, and his clothes were made of the fires of hell and the brimstone he surrounded himself with. He was beautiful.

He watched as the summon stuck his hand in the ball and charged it with energy before dragging it from the sky and throwing it at his enemies. It flattened them, and Rebecca yelped in amazement as Salai winked at Desmond and disappeared in a swarm of bats. The next focused kick from Lucy killed the frogs, and he grinned at her. She spared him a smile before turning back to the ice sculpture, which had been unaffected by his attack. They whittled down its health as he summoned Asura with a twirl of his staff, who had his angry face showing, putting them behind a green veil of magic. He smiled at Rauf, who vanished after covering them, and he summoned Leonardo, who went around for the remainder of the fight healing his friends. By the time it was over, Desmond had never been gladder for Leonardo. The ice magic didn't harm Lucy or him thanks to the hat and the cloak, but Rebecca was not faring well. It had taken only a few hits before she was resting on one knee. When she was cured, he paced over and helped her up. She grinned.

"Wanna see what I grabbed?"

He blinked as she pulled out a crystal made of ice and two potions Desmond had once seen in the survival packs that the others got before they were sent away.

"How did you get those?"

She grinned and winked, tucking them away somewhere on her. "Greedy bastards always have them. They pick them off the corpses of the humans they spawn from and keep them hidden for treasure."

He blinked. "Really?"

She nodded. "And I steal it back. That's my job!"

He grinned. "That's cool!"

"We should keep going, Desmond," Leonardo said, landing on his shoulder, "night will be here soon enough, and it's still a two-days' walk to the volcano!"

He nodded. "Alright then. Let's go! Doing okay, Lucy?"

She smiled at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat at her disheveled appearance. "Yeah. I'm fine. Leonardo's right."

They started off again, talking idly about the people who got sent to Ethaea to help with the monsters that appeared from the mist beyond the borders, and Desmond tuned them out, listening to Leonardo's stories about the volcano itself and the fiery-tempered crystal god inside it. They walked well into the night, not bothering to stop for lunch as the girls complained about the cold. Desmond gave Rebecca his cloak, and it swallowed her whole with his bigger build. He couldn't feel the cold, his feet nice and warm in his boots.

There were several more fights where he just let Leonardo flit around and heal his friends. Rebecca was collecting a remarkable amount of things to sell, and he watched her stuff it all into a several small pouches on her backside. He wondered how all that stuff fit inside. For dinner, they carved up a frog skin. He was exhausted, and he briefly heard Lucy ask him what was wrong while they ate. He simply said he was tired, and Desmond volunteered to take the sleeping bag after summoning Shiva for an ice hut. He promptly passed out, not even seeing if he had to take a portion of the watch.


	3. Chapter 3

He woke the next morning, halfway sprawled in the snow and in the sleeping bag. He didn't feel much of the cold, always having been impervious to it, but the look on Rebecca's face tipped him off that something wasn't right with that. He blinked as she stared at him from across the fire pit, some sort of large skinned animal roasting.

"Aren't you cold? Your arms are sitting in the snow."

He blinked, looking at her before rubbing his eyes. "Huh?"

"You should be freezing."

"I… I've always been at home in the snow."

"You should have seen him when he went into the cave for Shiva," Lucy said as she came over and sat on the foot of the sleeping bag.

He smiled at her, and she placed a hand on his leg, rubbing it briskly.

"What was it like?" Rebecca asked, turning the spit.

"I'm a native up here, and I was just about to freeze to death. He, however, wasn't affected at all. I hate to think of how he'll fair at the volcano."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Lucy," he said, grinning. "Just… gimme the hat back to make sure that I don't overheat."

She shook her head, and Rebecca scowled. "There's no way you're wearing that in there. I've seen jackets like that, and you'll take more damage if you get hit with a fire spell wearing that."

Lucy frowned. "Look, we'll decide what to do when we get there, but if he has to wear it, he has to wear it. He's always done well in cold weather."

Desmond stretched languidly.

"You're remarkably well-built for being a summoner," Rebecca murmured, and his arms shot to his sides as he sputtered.

Rebecca started laughing, and Desmond couldn't help but scowl. That wasn't the first time he had been given a compliment, only to have it laughed back when he couldn't detect sarcasm. Lucy was frowning, too, and he dusted the snow off his undergarments and attached his staff to his back. When Rebecca calmed down, she shook her head.

"Have you never gotten a compliment like that? I mean, come on, you are! Not many men I've met would sputter like that."

Desmond gave her a wary look.

"He wasn't well-liked in the village," Lucy said, in that dangerously quiet tone he had come to love.

That was the tone of voice she used before she unleashed all her power on his enemies, or when he had done something incredibly stupid. He, however, had come to associate it with safety, something he loved Lucy for. It wasn't that he couldn't protect himself, but sometimes, the summons took it too far when protecting him—she knew just when to stop. He pulled the knife out from his belt as when the food was ready, content to let her use the silverware, sitting next to her as they ate.

"Why not?" Rebecca finally asked.

"He was the only summoner born into a village of monks. We wear thick outfits to protect us from the cold, and in the deepest pits of winter use underground tunnels. He can get away with wearing light underclothes, and runs around naked in the middle of the arctic winters and be unscathed."

"No way. But… why would they hate him for that? I mean, just 'cause he's different—you need a little variety. Otherwise, things get boring. And a summoner is a rare job to see today. It takes skill and talent with the fiends."

He shook his head. "I'm hardly talented."

"More so than with me," she said with a snort. "Fiends see me coming and attack because they know I want their treasure. You know, I heard in the sands of Fis Sorr Anar, there's two breeds of cactus that are some of the most powerful you'll meet. I'm sure, if we could get close enough, they'd lend you their power."

"What are they called?"

"One is called the Cactuar, and the other, Cactite. The Cactite are known more for their fruit and their flowers, which can be harvested with little work on either party's part. There's also Chocobos—"

"I've heard of Chocobos!" Desmond shouted. "They're the big yellow birds!"

Rebecca grinned and leaned in. "On the plains of Vao, there's black ones and red ones, and we'll have to pass through those to get to the earth crystal. And in the caves where the water crystal resides, there lays a beast known as the Tonberry. No one who's seen it has survived. This was before the sleeping fog took over. They say it has soulless black eyes, and if it kills you, your soul gets trapped inside of the lantern it carries, that drips blood and gives off the most shrill and horrifying screams of agony you've ever seen. It's also rumored it carries a huge sword, so sharp it can cut anything!"

Desmond's eyes grew wide. "W-what?"

"Oh, it's true. You can't even hear it approach, the only sign you get is the sound of the screams from the lantern as it attacks you, and that's the last thing you'll know of."

He swallowed, shivering. "A-and it's in the cave that we have to go through?"

She straightened, nodding. "There have been rumors you can bribe it, but, well, no one's lived to tell the tale."

He stared at her as things continued, and as they started off, Desmond began to think of what it must look like. The lantern must be made of the bones of the dead, and the souls probably bulged inside of it, if it even had glass to contain them. They were probably attaching the two halves together, and it must have been large and scaly, dripping with sliminess that probably came from the damp cave the water crystal came from. It must have had large, sharp teeth and claws that wrapped around the handle of the lantern.

He shivered, summoning Valefor with a yelp when a cobra came out of nowhere and attacked him from behind. It was a short-lived battle, for as soon as Valefor saw it, it picked it up and ate it, as well as the next one that joined in. He petted his favorite briefly for dismissing it and summoning Leonardo, whispering to him as they continued walking. Thankfully, he didn't have to dismiss Sylph at all, for none of the enemies were too terribly threatening, and the longer they were on the road, the longer he had to think about the Tonberry. By the time night was falling, Rebecca was super stoked. There was no snow, the temperature had warmed remarkably, and he could see lights from over the hills they were walking toward.

"We're almost there! Ethaea is just over this hill!"

He could see a wall, rising high over the trees and stretching on into the horizon. It was huge, made of black mud, and over the top of it, he could see the thinnest wisps of green trickling over the top. It was as if vines were creeping over the edge, and although they dissipated before they got to a level where someone could touch them, it was rather spooky.

He was going to be glad to sleeping in a normal bed, in a house, where there were no monsters and nothing to attack him. He chased after her until they were running through the entrance of the city. A large wall extended forever in either direction, and the city was pressed right up against it. The volcano was so close—it was bigger than the mountains back home, and there was smoke curling out of the top. His breath hitched. It was _huge_, and there were people bustling about in the streets of the city even in the late hours of the night. He paused, stopping to take in all the activity. He felt Lucy appear beside him, and he jumped when she grabbed his hand.

"Ready? Our adventure is finally beginning."

He grinned and pulled her into the city gates, hardly catching the ice cloak and small pouch that Rebecca threw at him before vanishing. Desmond slipped into the cloak and tucked the pouch away before he stepped closer to her. He held tightly onto Lucy's hand as he walked up to some young lady and smiled warmly.

"Hi, I'm Desmond, and this is Lucy."

The young lady stopped and looked at them. "Are you two a couple?"

"H-huh?" Desmond asked, and the young lady looked at Lucy and laughed.

Lucy stepped up, squeezing his hand slightly and stepping close. "I suppose so, although he's been taking forever to ask me out."

Desmond sputtered, causing both girls to laugh, and he could feel his cheeks light up. He crossed his arms and looked at the ground.

"I just wanted to say hi," he grumbled.

"I'm sorry, honey. You two just looked so cute together—where are you from?"

"To the north," Lucy said, rubbing his shoulder in the way she often did to help him relax. "We're here for the volcano."

The young lady gasped. "Are you here for the lava overflowing tomorrow? On the other side of it at the entrance of the cave?"

"Really? When?" Lucy asked as Desmond uncurled his arms and looked at her.

"Oh, around dusk, I would suppose."

They looked at each other, and he frowned. "We'll have to leave early then."

"You're not going into the volcano, are you?" she whispered, horrified.

Lucy waved at her for silence. "I would suppose. We'll see you later?"

"Oh, do be careful, travelers!"

Desmond smiled. "We will!"

They waved goodbye, walking along hand-in-hand until they came across a shop with a staff on it.

"Desmond, don't you use stuff like that?"

He nodded. "Can we..?"

She pulled him in. It was a dark little shop, small, too, and the hat at the counter was more than a little intimidating. It was large and yellow that shaded the face of the human inside, and his eyes glowed from over the enormous collar on the blue cloak. He approached the stand.

"A magic user?" the hat said. "Feel free to look around."

He tilted his head, approaching the cases cautiously. Immediately, his curiosity was aroused when he saw a scroll with the word, "Cure" on it.

"What's that?" he murmured.

The large hat glanced at it and murmured, "A white mage spell. I don't think you can learn it. What kind of magic-user are you?"

"A summoner."

The hat laughed. "Ah, I'm afraid I have only one spell for summoners—we haven't had one visit us since the sleeping fog settled in. Do you have the chocobo summon?"

"What color is it?" Desmond murmured as he looked where the hat gestured.

There was silence for just a moment before he heard, "A typical yellow one, I suppose."

He smiled warmly as his hands curled against the glass, and the hat tilted as if it were confused.

"I heard you can see colored ones on the plains. Red and black."

"Ah, yes, but you cannot summon them."

"I can if they let me."

"That's ridiculous. You cannot summon fiends. There is not a scroll for it."

"Why would I need scrolls to learn how to summon them? That's not how it works. They give themselves to me, and all I have to do is call them."

"That is not how it works. You must have memorized the summoning dance."

"Dance?"

"The staff summon."

"I… I don't need a staff to summon them."

"Of course you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. Those are the laws of magic."

"Do you want me to show you?"

"I find it hard to believe that a man as young as you would know more than a man who has devoted his life to studying it. Step outside, let me see."

Desmond huffed, pulling off his staff and handing it to the hat. Then, he let the hat clear the people out before he threw his hand in the sky.

"Valefor!" he shouted, and seconds later, he heard the people gasp as his bird-god came whirling down from the heavens.

He smiled, petting it briskly. Some of the citizens clapped as he hugged it, and a little boy came running forward to ask to touch it. Valefor leaned over and let it stroke the feathers on its head. He laughed, and the hat stepped over.

"A fluke. Show me another."

Desmond sighed.

"Why not show him that hare-thing from the forest?" Lucy suggested, pulling the boy away as Valefor was dismissed.

"A wyrdhare?" the hat asked. "The ones whose tails we use for magics?"

Desmond squatted and slapped his hands on the ground. "Wyrdhare!"

He lifted his hands up slowly, watching as the dust swirled and formed beneath his fingertips. Then, from the cloud of dust, the red bunny danced out, hopping around curiously in the street before returning to Desmond. He scooped it up and plopped it in the boy's arms, who cooed and awed over it, attracting others.

"I told you," Desmond huffed, snatching his staff back from the astonished hat.

The hat was by the boy petting the wyrdhare, which was chirping merrily in his arms at all the attention.

"I didn't know this was possible," the yellow hat breathed.

With a flick of his hand, he dismissed the hare and attached his staff to his back again. "Come on, Lucy: let's see what else there is here. See ya, Hat Guy."

He took Lucy's hand and pulled her off, marching through the streets and leaving the hat behind. They stumbled into an armory, which had nothing for him or Lucy, and wandered around holding hands until they found themselves in a weapons shop. Her eyes were glued to the cases at a pair of claw fashioned out of ice from magic. Desmond was peering over her shoulder.

"Wow… If I had thought to bring my allowance, instead of just being whisked off."

He felt his heart sink. They had no money—and that might cause problems. Then, it struck him, and he remembered the pouch Rebecca had thrown at him. He frisked himself down, finding it absentmindedly placed in a pocket on the cloak. Desmond pulled out the small pouch Rebecca had tucked away, hoping to find come cash, and he smiled. "Lucy, we do have some money."

"How?" she asked, looking into the pouch.

"I don't know. Rebecca threw it at me before she ran off."

She dumped out the money on the counter, and the weapons master watched her count it.

"We can get them!"

Desmond slapped the owner's hands away before he could snatch the money. "Lucy, we need to save some for a room at an inn. Rebecca ran off, and we don't know if she's even coming back. We're lucky she gave us this money. We have to make it stretch."

Lucy looked at him, blinked, then deflated. "You're right, Desmond. We do. I can go without the claws."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, I mean, let's get you the set of plain claws. Shiva can turn them into ice claws as he did my knife."

He counted out the amount of money they would need for the wooden claws, and slid it across to the weapons' master. The man nodded, reaching in and pulling out the claws, adjusting them to her hands and sizing them accordingly. She was ecstatic with the purchase, and they still had some money left over to see if there was an inn they could afford.

By the time they found the cheapest, they had traipsed all over the city. They had seen the rich end and the poor end—they had seen the castle in all its majesty. They had both enjoyed it, but they were exhausted from the fast-paced travel. They were at the dingy end on the poorer side of the city, and it didn't bother them—it was fascinating—but the manager was being unrelenting on the fact they were twenty gil short.

"Please?" Lucy begged. "We can work for you to make up the difference. All we need is a corner to sleep in."

"Or," Desmond muttered under his breath, "I could just shock him into letting us with Talal."

"Desmond," Lucy said disapprovingly.

"Sorry," he groused, "I think we should just have Kadar make us an igloo again."

"That would just be ridiculous," Lucy murmured. "Then we'd have to worry about monsters."

"I could summon Valefor."

"A summoner, you say?" an old man interjected. "Interesting folk to have at this town. Haven't seen any since that wall some seventy-five years ago."

"The one in front of the city?" Desmond asked. "We're going over there."

"Brave young kids."

"You're crazy, kids."

"We're not crazy," he snipped. "We're gathering the spirits of the crystals!"

"Sure thing," the man drawled, rolling his eyes. "Stupid kids."

Desmond snapped, pounding his hands on the counter and snarling at the man. He was tired; he strained his magic reserves to the limits and was pooped, and he was hungry, and he'd be damned if this stupid innkeeper was going to keep him from sleeping.

"I swear," he growled, "you either give us a place to sleep, or I will summon the devil himself and _level this piece of shit_."

The man backed off a pace, a look of caution in his eyes. Desmond swept the money back into the pouch and growled again.

"Well?"

The man seemed to decide on something and gestured them farther in. It was nothing more than a cot in the corner of the kitchen, but the cooks were nice enough to give them a bowl of soup and their aprons for blankets. Desmond offered the rest of their money to them, forcing them to take the thirty coins. They accepted reluctantly, splitting the pocket change between the three of them and turning out the lights, and Desmond pulled Lucy close on the tiny cot, falling asleep quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

He was waken by the sound of trumpets and the feel of someone pushing his shoulder. He grunted, first, and then snapped, sinking his teeth into the hand that was trying to wake him. He heard a cry of pain and bit down harder when the hand tried to pull away. Lucy was stirring in his arms, and he snarled, looking to see a frightened looking young man in an extravagant outfit.

"What? I was sleeping," he snarled.

"I-I have come to inform you that the king wishes to see you."

"Stupid fuc-king," Desmond murmured. "I'm tired. Leave me alone."

"Des?" he heard Lucy mumble.

She was always a heavier sleeper. He kissed her ear and murmured for her to go back to sleep. She hummed, not even opening her eyes as she nestled against his chest, her blonde hair sticking out all over the place. He curled his lip when he saw the other person still standing there.

"We'll give you a better bed. And a large meal when you wake up."

Desmond growled. "Promise?"

"On the honor of my kingdom, sir."

He slowly sat up, brushing off the messenger's hand to help him up as he gathered Lucy in his arms and rose. She stirred, and he shushed her, stumbling along out to a carriage. He blinked wearily.

"Really?" he deadpanned. "Really? I can carry her to the castle and not wake her. She's going to wake up if I set foot in that thing. I'm going back to be—"

"Good sir, please," the messenger boy pleaded. "This is my job. I get a promotion if you come with. The thief that informed us said you wouldn't come with because it was so late."

Desmond snorted, but climbed awkwardly into the open carriage with Lucy, if just to spite that damn woman for leaving them alone. He watched the castle approach, followed the boy inside to where he gestured to set Lucy down to sleep. After he set her down, despite the protests of the ladies waiting for her, he climbed in beside her and cuddled close. She sighed, nuzzling against him. He pulled the covers over them. He felt slightly as if he were seven again, climbing out his window after getting yelled at by this father for stealing a survival packet and going over to Lucy's to spend the night. His father never found it, though.

He woke the next morning to the feel of silken sheets and Lucy stirring in his arms. He could feel her stretching, and his arms tightened around her. She hummed, opening her eyes, then shooting up, and he opened an eye, irritated. He watched as she looked at him, and he couldn't help but feel slightly aroused at her disoriented, disheveled appearance.

"Where are we?"

"At the castle. King wanted to see us," he grunted.

She stared at him for a little bit longer before she turned to her side and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes fluttered closed, and he hummed.

"Well," she started, "I suppose that's okay."

His hand found its way under her shirt and around her waist, pulling her close again as he pressed his face against her neck, breathing in deep.

"D-Desmond! This is no time to get cuddly!"

He grunted. "I don't care. They woke me up last night. They can wait."

"Desmond," she said, and for once, he wasn't inclined to listen to the disapproving tone of her voice.

"Desmond," she said, softer this time, and he found himself meeting her gaze. "Come on, we need to meet the king, if he requested us."

He frowned, letting her go and burying his face in the pillow. This bed was soft.

"Oh, are you awake?"

They both looked to see a young maid standing there, holding a tray. She smiled brightly and set it down on the bedside table. Desmond was staring at it, amazed by the foods he didn't recognize. The young maid bowed and left.

"I'll inform the king."

Seconds later he was sitting up, pulling the tray onto the bed and smiling at Lucy.

"It looks good."

"And to think you were intent on sleeping."

He laughed. "But, you didn't want to cuddle, so I had to move onto the next best thing."

Lucy cuffed his ear, and he laughed at the blush she had. He didn't wait for her to start eating, just tucked in and choked on a laugh as she yelped, grabbing the other fork and battling for food. He was excited—whatever this adventure might bring, he would have his best friend beside him the entire time. He wouldn't have to deal with his father snipping at him, and he'd get to do what he did best: summon. By the time they were done eating, the maid had returned with a bow.

"The king will see you now."

Lucy smiled. "Thank you."

"I suppose we ought to go and see him."

"In the clothes we're in now?"

Lucy pursed her lips as Desmond set the tray aside. She shrugged. "I'm not changing out of them. Are you? I thought you really liked that cloak."

"I suppose. Where did the hat go?"

They blinked at each other before pulling apart the bed, finding the hat smooshed between the blankets. He pulled it on and walked out. The maid was standing by the door, and Desmond smiled at her.

"Okay. We'll see him."

The maid nodded, bowing. "Follow me, please."

It felt a little odd, he noticed, to be following behind a girl who was older than him. He and Lucy were, possibly, the youngest in this castle so far. It surprised him that there weren't more children. He could identify most of the monks that lined the walls, standing as guards, all of them having come from his little village. He paid them no mind, looking at all the extravagant carpeting and tapestries, the ornately carved tables and urns. The show of wealth was impressive.

The maid stopped at large, wooden door.

"If you'll wait here for just a moment."

Desmond nodded, blinking as she spoke to a guard, who went into the room. He could feel the comforting weight of his staff on his back, the hat nice and cool on his head. It was much warmer here by the volcano than back home. It was almost too hot. He adjusted his cloak absentmindedly, liking how it kept him cooler, and looked around the hall.

"Excited? We're meeting a real king."

"You would have met him anyway," Desmond muttered. "You were being sent off in just a matter of days."

She rolled her eyes. "But still…"

He grinned at her, watching as the doors opened and they were summoned in. "Yeah. I am pretty excited."

They walked into the hall until they were a few feet away from a few stairs and two large thrones. Desmond's eyes widened at the sight of the king, fat and overly-dressed in all his riches. When Lucy bowed, he followed suit.

"Are you two the summoner and friend?"

"Yes, your majesty," Lucy said.

He figured that he should let Lucy do the talking, and he concentrated more on his feet. Eventually, his eyes wandered as they talked, He frowned when he noticed Rebecca standing off to the side, leaning against the wall and watching with several of the guards with a young man who had glasses and a high-collared green robe and a yellow scarf tied around his neck. He was wearing grey pants and large brown belt that had a white shirt tucked into it. The boy had red-brown hair and brown eyes. He tilted his head as the kid met his gaze, making a nodding motion toward the king and scowling. He turned back to look at Lucy, who was looking at him impatiently.

"Yeah?"

She sighed, irritated, and he frowned.

"What?"

"Summon Shiva for him."

"Why?"

"Desmond!" she huffed. "He's the king."

He could hear the kid off to the side laughing at him, and he glared at Lucy. "What does it matter if he's king?"

Lucy groaned, turning to the king and apologizing for one thing or another.

"Look, I don't get it. Why's he so important?"

"He's… the king."

"So?"

"The king, Desmond, he rules this land."

"He does?"

By now, all the guards were hardly holding back laughter, and both Rebecca and the kid were laughing.

"Yes, Desmond," she said, sounding exhausted.

"Don't give me that voice!" he growled. "You know I haven't been allowed into any of the lessons you were in. I wasn't exactly well-loved."

He snarled in the direction of Rebecca and the boy as Lucy said something to the king.

"Desmond, please summon Shiva."

He scowled, throwing his hand up in the air and calling out for Shiva. He shivered when a chill ran through his body, and he watched as a blizzard appeared from nowhere. It swirled back around him and vanished, leaving Shiva in his cloak. The god turned and smiled warmly at him, and he smiled as Kadar threw him the cloak with a flourish. He held it delicately, beaming, as silence swept over the hall.

"And Desmond," the god said, cupping his cheek and leaning in close, one hand on his leg and his butt popped out.

There was more female than male about him. Regardless, the summon smirked.

"Don't listen to them. The king is an ignorant puppet of his advisors, a tool for war. This goes for _any_ of the kings you'll ever see. You're above them, kiddo. And if you don't believe me, just wait until you get us all, then you can flatten the world if you like."

He smiled. "Hi, Shiva."

The god laughed, kissing his forehead. "Just figured I'd answer your question where others failed."

"This is the god of the ice crystal?"

Kadar spun around, smiling warmly and bowing, his entire aura mocking. "It's a _pleasure_, your highness."

The king looked upset, and the god turned back to Desmond. "Well, as pleasant as this has been, we must be off. I have to get you to my brother before he decides to close off the cave with lava. There's not a moment to spare!"

Lucy looked horrified, and Kadar smiled at her, too. "Are you coming, my dear? And that thief girl, where is she? She might like some of the treasure."

Desmond didn't fight as Kadar grabbed his hand and pulled him off. He grinned, waving goodbye, and he heard Lucy say a hasty apology and goodbye, followed by the command to have Rebecca and someone else follow. He was pulled from the castle and out of the city, all the way to the base of the volcano, where Shiva stopped, looking up. He could see the god inhaled deeply and bounced slightly.

"Ready, Desmond? It's been almost a hundred years since I saw him! Come on, off you go!"

Shiva vanished, and he saw Lucy come running up beside him, not even out of breath. "Desmond, did you have to?"

"I don't think that I could've stopped Kadar if I tried."

"Yeah, well, we have to wait for the other two. That thief girl and the nerdy kid. The boy's name is Shaun, and, well, Rebecca is here, too."

"I'm not so sure I want her here. She did just leave us yesterday. And book boy laughed at me."

"Well, that's the hand we've been dealt."

"Why can't we just shove him into the lava—"

"Desmond," she growled, and he frowned.

"Just saying. It's only for this cave, right?"

"Right."

"Okay," he said. "But if he dies, it's not my fault."

"All right. Play nice. Here they come."

Shaun was thoroughly out of breath, and even Rebecca was panting. Desmond didn't even wait before starting up the mountain, and Lucy stopped him by grabbing his robe collar.

"Give them a second."

"We don't have a second, according to Shiva!" Desmond said, scowling. "Besides, we don't _need _them. Shiva invited only you."

Lucy gave him a disapproving look, and he scowled. Shiva danced before his eyes, beckoning him to go, to follow, and he squirmed with excitement. He waited all of two minutes before he took off up the mountain. He could see the image of Shiva moving in front of him, beckoning him, eager to be reunited with his brother. When Kadar paused in front of a treasure chest, he knelt down and opened it.

"A gift," he heard whispered in his ear. "My brother has long expected you, and the disappearance of the colors in the sky has signified you have come for him."

He watched a key of ice appear from nowhere, and he opened the chest to see a tent laying there. He tilted his head.

"Bloody hell, you ignorant prat! Couldn't you wait for us to—"

"No way," Rebecca yelped, peering over his shoulder. "A tent? Seriously? Just… waiting on the side of the volcano?"

He smiled at her. "Yup. A gift, from Ifrit."

"A gift from Ifrit, indeed," the dorky boy said, smoothing out his robes. "You are the most delusional, ill-mannered, _arrogant_ young man I have ever seen!"

"Shaun," Lucy snapped. "He's just excited. This is the first time he's ever experienced something like this."

Shaun harrumphed, and he tensed when Rebecca held out her hands for the tent.

"Just trust me, Des, I gave you the money yesterday from our fights, didn't I? That was all I had. 'Sides, I'm the only one who can carry it."

He gave her a suspicious look as he held the tent, feeling like a child again. This was a cool thing, and he had found it, and he wasn't too keen on letting Rebecca hold it.

"And while we're on this subject of convenience," Shaun started, "please tell me you aren't wearing _that_ into the fire caves."

Desmond scowled. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"This is a _fire _cave," the boy spit. "Ice is weak against fire, and vice versa. You're wearing the weakness we should be avoiding!"

He didn't fight as Rebecca gently pried the tent from his fingers, making it vanish into that mysterious pouch at her side. He _hated_ this boy.

"I don't care if it's the weakness. I like the coat."

"You're an idiot—"

"Boys!" Lucy snapped, glaring at both of them. Desmond noticed with no small amount of pleasure her gaze softened considerably when on him. "Look, this is no way to start out. Let's just see how he fares as we progress, and if it makes it too much of a hassle, he'll take it off."

Desmond scoffed, pulling his cloak tighter around him and pulling the hat down farther. He had to admit, as he trudged off following the faint image of Shiva, that he really liked the cloak. And the volcano wasn't too hot, despite what he had been told.

He yelped when large, maliciously-grinning thing materialized in front of him, laughing as he stepped back, Lucy and Rebecca rushing in front of him. Shaun stayed beside him, and he watch as Lucy focused hard. Shaun was flipping through a notebook.

"What is that?" he asked.

Shaun rolled his eyes. "It's a bomb. It's weakness is ice and water, but, seeing as how you're completely ignorant to anything that—"

He snarled, bringing two fingers to his lips as he focused on Shiva.

"Shit, it's growing bigger!" he heard Lucy shout.

"That's the specialty of bombs," Shaun shouted. "They take three hits before they explode!"

"Can we beat it in three hit—"

The ground shook as he twirled around, three large crystal of ice driving into the ground as he danced. When he felt Shiva behind him, he stepped aside, letting him walk forward and catching the cloak when he threw it to him. Lucy and Rebecca backed off, and Desmond smiled as Kadar dropped a large block of ice on it. The bomb was getting bigger, and when Shiva danced out of the way of the fire sent at him, he grinned. He looked over at Shaun, watching as his expression turned into one of astonishment as Shiva did his strongest attack. When it was over, and the bomb was nothing more than a pile of ashes that Rebecca was digging through, Kadar turned to him, smiling.

"Ready to keep going, Desmond?"

"Yeah!" he breathed, grinning and getting ready to dismiss him before Lucy caught his sleeve.

"Hold up, Desmond. God Shiva—"

"Kadar, I insist," the god said, still smiling warmly.

She nodded, holding out her weapon. "Will you turn these…"

He was already making them before she could finish, transforming them into a nasty looking set of icicle claws. Lucy thanked him profusely before he vanished partially and becoming a thin wisp again, leading Desmond off. He followed faithfully, encouraged by the loot they got from monsters and the brand new knife they found. It was just like his, covered in ice, so he let Rebecca keep it, and before they knew it, they were standing outside of the entrance to the cave.

"Are you going to take it off?"

He turned to see Rebecca looking at him curiously. He tilted his head. "Take what off?"

"The cloak? To protect yourself?"

He looked down at it and sighed, shrugging it off and pulling off the hat, only to get hit with a huge blast of heat. He staggered, dropping them without realizing it, blinking as he tried to gather his bearings. He inhaled deeply, fighting the instinct to breathe rapidly and trying to calm the sudden quick beating of his heart.

"Desmond?" he thought he heard Lucy say, but he shook his head and turned toward the cave, stepping in.

His vision was swimming. He felt as if he were roasting alive in the cave. His legs felt like jelly, and his stomach hurt from all the sudden heat. He staggered, feeling his leg give out beneath him, and he fell awkwardly onto his side, hardly remembering to catch himself on his hands.

"Desmond!"

He swallowed thickly, watching as the ground rippled and waved beneath him. He couldn't help but wonder if the others were dying of heat as he was. It was ridiculously hot in here. He was panting, he was sure of it, and he could feel his heart speeding up even more. His eyelids were fluttering in front of his eyes, and he collapsed.

He was immediately surrounded by snow and blessed cold after he met black, and he could see Shiva in front him, frowning.

"Don't listen to them, Desmond. They don't know what they're doing. We give you these gifts for a reason. Do not let them persuade you otherwise."

"I didn't know it would be so hot!" he snapped. "I felt fine otherwise! Nice and cool!"

"That is because that hat and cloak regulate your body temperatures. The others can handle it. Even Lucy, who has been trained for fighting here. You cannot. I will protect, but you must let me."

"But Shaun said—"

"It's a risk you'll have to take, Desmond. Besides," the god said with a wink, "Rauf will take good care of you, and my brother has left you another good gift farther in. Perhaps not so excellent as _mine_, but whatever."

Desmond blinked, and he was jolting awake with a huge gasp of wonderful, refreshing, cold air. He sat up, his hands clasping his arms as he felt the ice cloak beneath his fingers, and he grinned. Shaking his head, he noticed Lucy sitting beside him, and he nudged her. She jolted awake, staring at him. He smiled.

"Desmond!"

He felt arms around his neck before he knew what was happening.

"Don't do that again," she hissed, hugging him tighter. "The cave closed after we entered, so we had to find an alcove to wait for you in."

He laughed, hugging her back. "I'm never listening to them again."

"I've already told them to not order you around."

"Awesome. Thanks, Lucy."

She sighed, and he could feel her chest heave with the movement. Dressed in his robes and hat again, he felt much better. His hands curled on her sides, and he inhaled deeply. They stayed like that for several seconds before he felt Lucy pull away, and he met her gaze.

"Ready to get going?"

He smiled. "Yeah. And Shiva told me there're treasures in here, too, so we should go treasure hunting!"

She rose and helped him up, stepping out to where Rebecca and Shaun were talking. They paused as they emerged, and Rebecca waved.

"Sorry about that, Des!"

He shook his head. "That's okay. I went along with it, didn't I?"

"If you two are _done_," Shaun hissed, "I would greatly enjoy if we could _get moving_. I would like to get out of here."

Desmond rolled his eyes but said nothing more as he led them off, wandering proudly through the caves. With the ice claws, Lucy was able to take down a bomb in three hits, and Rebecca's sticky fingers were rapidly improving (as well as her skills with a knife). Shaun would prattle on uselessly about whatever they were fighting, and they all agreed that Desmond should stick to summoning Leonardo for most of their fights. He did, actually, summon the Wyrdhare once, laughing as it bounced around on the ground, giving out potions like candies or occasionally throwing around a healing spell.

After the fight, it hopped into his arms and demanded to be carried, nuzzled down nicely in his cloak. Shaun rolled his eyes, thoroughly displeased, and Rebecca cooed over it briefly before a giant slug made of fire attacked them. The beasts in this cavern were aggressive, and every few steps something would climb from the wall, or fall from the ceiling, or crawl out of the lava, and by the time they reached another little alcove, they were all wiped out.

"Can we rest here?" Desmond asked.

He was sporting a new hat, one made of woven red crystals, and it helped cancel out the weakness of his ice cloak. He also had a knife made of lava tucked into the back of his belt, so Rebecca had the two ice knives. Lucy had a brand-new headband that nullified some of the power of fire, and even Shaun received a new book. Rebecca had taken their old gear and stuffed it into that small little pouch, one that had a portal to some sort of space where she could store everything. Desmond didn't understand, just nodded, smiling, and hugged the Wyrdhare tighter.

He watched as Rebecca pulled out the tent, and he set it up as Lucy went hunting with a little help from the Wyrdhare. When the creature came hopping back in, Lucy had a dead wolf in her arms, black as the dried lava and streaked with red. He helped her spit it and cook it before serving it up. Shaun was distracted by the new text, and by the time they were done eating, all of them were packed into the tent, sleeping comfortably in a pile in the alcove. They could bond at a later date.

He was the last one to wake, stepping out of the tent groggily and stretching. He could feel all three sets of eyes on him as he grunted, feeling his shirt ride up underneath the cloak. He blinked as he let his arms fall down to his sides, and there was a few seconds more of silence before he heard Shaun speak.

"About time, Mister High-and-Mighty. We've been waiting."

"Sorry," he slurred.

Lucy smiled at him. "It's okay, Desmond. You aren't used to such exercise."

He smiled back at her, shaking like a dog and stretching one last time. All of his muscles were sore, but he felt refreshed, and he knew he could handle Ifrit. He could feel the nervousness settling in the pit of his stomach, clenching all his insides. This would be a tough battle—tougher than the ones yesterday, which he didn't actually remember much of from being so exhausted. Rebecca and Lucy were set and ready to head into the next room. He looked back at the tent.

"It's useless now," Rebecca said. "It'll break if we try to take it down."

Desmond scowled, but adjusted his cloak and nodded, taking the small snack she handed him. Shaun had wandered over, and he could see the nervousness in his eyes. He wondered if they could, actually, handle Ifrit. Rebecca winked at him.

"Ready?"

He grinned. "Ready as I'll ever be."

They stepped into the next room, where a large red crystal hovered over a huge pit of lava. There was a path that led to it, and Desmond could feel himself drawn toward it. He led them around to the path, and he trudged upward until he could reach the crystal, and he leaned out to touch it.

Only to have it shatter when he did, followed by a hiss.

"Who _dares_ disturb my slumber?"

* * *

><p><strong>Anyone who knows me knew this was coming. As always, comments are appreciated.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

He stumbled backward when the ground lurched, falling behind the others on his rump as an arm, richly tan with fire coming off the elbow, pulled up a furious-looking man. He trembled at the sight of the man, muscular and brimming with power his eyes filled with living flame, and Lucy and Rebecca stepped in front of him. He hardly noticed the lack of one arm, more intimidated by the large, vicious-looking black claws on the other hand and the feet and the tattered pants that burned around his waist. Black hair dissolved into a fiery mane that covered the back of his neck and shoulders, and two large black horns were sticking out of his head, curving like a bow. He flinched when the man roared loud enough that rocks fell from the top of the volcano and splashed into the lava.

"Children sent by Rikkin, no doubt. I will roast you! Feel my power!"

He brought his arms up at the outcry, and he was unfortunate enough that the man swiped at him first. He staggered back at the impact, alarmed as the blood seeped through the large gashes.

"Desmond!" he heard Lucy cry, and he panicked.

He had never been injured like this before. It always happened to Lucy or Rebecca. He could see the blood oozing and dripping onto the ground, coloring it dark red, and he whimpered. Still, he pulled himself from it when Shaun hollered him, and he summoned the Wyrdhare. The healing spell the creature used closed his wounds over nicely, and he stepped back to let it take his place. It didn't last long before the man picked it up and cleaved it neatly in two with a claw. Desmond was petrified that his ally had just been brutally ripped in two as he stepped forward again, preparing to summon Leonardo, and when he did, it was a matter of seconds before he was baked alive when the man unleashed a fire and rock storm on his allies with another powerful roar. Desmond swallowed, summoning Rauf, who healed them all quickly—but sent the powerful man into an uncontrollable rage.

He watched as the man froze when he first saw Asura, then scowled. Desmond was standing back as he watched his allies hop back up, and the man's eyes went from being filled with living flame to _being_ flame. Desmond yelped when the demon lit himself with fire. He watched as Lucy attacked, doing considerable damage, but the flames grew steadily higher and hotter. He noticed how Rauf's angry face was showing, and he was casting magic to give them a green aura, and a pink aura, and a red aura, and all other kinds. But the man wasn't attacking, just getting more covered in flames until he saw the man inhale deeply, and he cried out as he watched a large column of fire sweep over his allies, his demise blocked by Asura. He was horrified as he saw all three of them fall and Rauf vanish into a million different pieces. He stepped forward tentatively.

"You, why do you come?" the man growled, and Desmond's response was frozen in his throat.

He was building what energy he had to summon Shiva, his last ditch chance. He could see the man getting angry. He lifted his fingers to his mouth, trembling. He had had some semblance of hope when they started, but now he was pretty damn sure he was going to die here, baked alive, and he would never be able to help Kadar.

"Was it Rikkin who sent you?"

He whimpered, shaking his head, as he closed his eyes. The man roared again, and he flinched as he heard the rocks come crashing down, the hot swirl of fire surrounding him and leaving a nice burn on his face. He was having so much trouble concentrating, and he yelled in pain when he felt those claws sink into his arm and leave more gashes.

"Answer me, you insolent fool!"

"Shiva!" he cried, throwing his hand up and looking to the heavens.

He could feel the ground shake as the three humongous ice crystals pounded into the ground behind him and the refreshing gust of freezing air surround him, making him feel slightly more courageous. He didn't open his eyes though, too afraid of seeing the ice god be destroyed. He felt Shiva move him gently to the side and wrap him in his cloak, and he stepped back, watching and hoping he wasn't going to die.

"You are such a brute, Malik."

Desmond cracked open an eye, still terrified.

"Desmond, meet Ifrit. Call him Mal or Malik, if you like. This is my brother."

He flinched at the narrowing of the man's eyes.

"_This_ is your summoner?"

"Take it easy on him, brother. I have been watching him. He was very… sheltered, but he is talented. Worthy, indeed, of our power."

The man's gaze swept over his comrades. "Then I suppose I went too far with the others."

Kadar nodded disapprovingly. "Desmond, why don't you bring Rauf back out, hm? He can take care of them. No need to dismiss me. I'm staying right here. I won't leave you alone, I promise."

"He's still alive?" Desmond whispered.

Kadar laughed, and Malik scowled. He flinched.

"I see what you mean. Did they not give him _any_ schooling in his own powers?"

"He grew up amongst the most asshole-ish monks I've ever seen!" Kadar cried, throwing his hands up in the air before smiling at Desmond. "But yes, kiddo, they are _all _still alive. They just need a bit of time to rest. Do you have someone else you could summon for healing?"

He blinked. The only one he hadn't tried was the Wild Onion he had obtained. He curled his lip in indecision before slamming his staff into the ground. "Wild Onion!"

Much to his surprise, he got not one, but five of the crazy little things that came running to his summon. One had the head of a pumpkin and a purple shirt, another with a tomato as a head and super long and sharp teeth with a striped suit, another with an onion head and a red shirt, a purple thing with blood-red eyes and a bean shoot sticking out of its head, and a fifth one with a drill coming out of its head and a dark purple body. They ran around, arms flailing as they figured out what they were doing, then all of a sudden, all of his allies were stirring and the five different plants were climbing up his cloak and his wounds were healed. Kadar was laughing, and even the fire god was watching.

"How adorable! You must have really impressed them when you were playing with the Wild Onions!"

Desmond tilted his head, scrambling to catch the purple one with the horn as it screeched from falling off his head. "What do you mean?"

"That's the Mandragora family! The one with the horn is the Alraune King, and the Onion Queen, the Mandragora Prince has the sprout on his head, the Topstalk is the tomato, and the Pumpkin Star! Oh, just look at you go! Such a powerful young thing!"

He glanced at Ifrit for just a second, seeing something akin to approval in his eyes, and he swallowed as the Topstalk screamed, sending chills down his spine and making him shiver violently. Ifrit snorted.

"He still has a long way to go."

"We still have a long way to go. So, are you coming? We're heading over the wall next, and he'll need both of us and that wind demigod he favors."

He found himself hugging Lucy when she rose. She was trembling, ever so slightly, not used to thing quite so powerful.

"And the others?"

"They will have to stay here," Kadar murmured. "They cannot handle the sleeping fog—well, perhaps the…" he gestured flippantly at Shaun, sighing, "him. He can. That kid."

"Would it not be smarter to send that girl he likes so much?"

"No—honestly, Malik, this is _Ezio_ we're talking about. A god like him, I can guarantee you that no beast will be able to resist his sleeping spell."

"No breast will be able to resist him, you mean," Ifrit hissed.

Desmond frowned. He didn't want to take _Shaun_ with him. He jerked when Ifrit threw his head back and laughed.

"There, see, Kadar! Even the summoner doesn't like the idea of working with the bookworm or sending his lady to deal with a pervert. Send him by himself. He can do it, if he is as powerful as you preach."

Kadar puffed up, looking irate. "Fine! Desmond will do it by himself, and—"

"H-hey! Don't we get any say in this at all?" he yelped, wrapping his arm around Lucy's waist and pulling her close.

"Yeah!" Rebecca chimed in. "I wanted to see the cave of the water crystal!"

Malik snorted, and Desmond watched as smoke came from his nostrils. "No—"

"But Rebecca said there were something called Tonberrys there! There's no way I'm fighting one of those frightening beasts without Lucy, at least!"

"Tonberrys?" Kadar asked, falling silent, then chuckling. "Desmond, there is so very much you still have yet to learn. Trust me: if you want Ifrit to join you, you will do this alone. If you are as powerful as I think you are, a Tonberry will be no problem."

He shrank down slightly, giving Kadar a worried look, and the man came over, hugging him tightly. "Don't worry, Mal will be right beside you the entire time."

"I will?" the fire god deadpanned.

"Yes, you will, Mal. He'll need a light, and you are just the thing he'll need. So, why don't you teleport us all out of here, and we'll take off while you three go to greet the king for us, okay?"

There was uproar from his allies, but he was still smooshed in Kadar's hug, unable to protest. He flinched when Ifrit roared, clinging to Kadar momentarily, and silence reigned.

"Our decision is made," Malik growled, "unless you would like to _stay_ in here."

He swallowed when he heard the others agree hesitantly, and he watched as the scenery faded to the castle's throne room. Kadar let go, taking his cloak back and wrapping it around himself as he straightened.

"Your majesty!" he exclaimed as loudly and obnoxiously happy as he could.

The king jerked from his trance, and Desmond smirked. He was going to rub it in. He looked when he felt Malik's hand on his shoulder, and he was entranced by the man. What he lacked in beauty compared to his brother he made up for with the sheer promise of _power_, and he inhaled sharply when the god looked at him just briefly. He swallowed, and the god's lips curved up, just the slightest, in amusement. He tore his gaze away to look at the king, who Kadar was harassing.

"Ruler of these lands, who I have blessed with fertile soil and prosperity, who I have protected from the evils of the world beyond with the wall, I am taking this boy. You are to care for these three children who will remain and give them the best."

The king narrowed his eyes, clearly not wanting to, and being mad for such improper treatment. Malik snorted smoke out again, and Desmond swallowed when he narrowed his eyes.

"If you do not, I will be forced to replace you. You are human, not god, nor will you ever be, and I have graciously _not_ wiped your village from these lands as I was so tempted to do at first, so you will obey me."

The king straightened, alarmed, and nodded cautiously.

"Desmond, let's go."

Desmond opened his mouth to protest, only to close it when he realized that the god wasn't kidding, and if he was actually going to be of any help, he would follow what Malik told him. He deflated, running a hand through his hair as the tight feeling in his gut came back.

"Do we have to today?"

"Yes. The sooner we free Titan and Anima from their binds and rid the world of Rikkin, the better we will be. The man acts quickly from his immunity to the sleeping fog, and we must rally the other crystals quickly before he reaches the heavens."

Desmond sighed, hugging Lucy and Rebecca goodbye, and he jolted when he felt the thief attach the bag that made everything disappear to his belt. She grinned and winked at him.

"Get me something good, you hear?"

He grinned, trying to ignore the tightening of his belly. He was terrified of the Tonberrys that Rebecca mentioned. They were big, ugly, monstrous creatures that lived in the shadows and sucked out souls from the bleeding lanterns they carried. He waved goodbye to Shaun, who rolled his eyes, before following the two crystal gods out. When he looked over his shoulder one last time, he felt like vomiting as he tried to send them a smile. As he summoned Valefor, he almost couldn't. He wanted to say, "No, I'm not a hero," because this was more than he had ever asked for, and he just wanted to take a nap right now. He didn't even have a tent to sleep in if the journey took forever.

He stroked the feathers on Valefor's neck as he took off, watching as Shiva skated on frozen wind and Ifrit ran on molten lava. He settled down, trying not to be afraid as he saw the green fog appear over the wall. Valefor flew higher and higher, until Desmond was hugging his face as he watched the green fog sail by below them. He didn't want to do this by his lonesome, and he was afraid of what would happen otherwise, but it was time for him to face up to it. After all, he had wanted adventure, and here he was, getting a free pass for it, as well as new friends and a chance to strike back at all the people in the village that had held him captive for so long.

But that still didn't stop the cold chill of dread he got when thinking about the Tonberrys that waited for him.

He looked when he felt Ifrit land on Valefor, and he grunted as the man smooshed him down, and then his beloved bird-god was doing a nosedive toward the water, and he couldn't help the scream he let out. When the water grew even closer, he squeezed his eyes shut, realizing he couldn't avoid it, and he sucked in a huge breath as he felt the water try to rip him from Valefor's back. He didn't open his eyes, covering his mouth and nose with his hands and trying not to breathe out. It grew harder and harder to _not_ breathe in, and he felt as if he were going to die by the time that Valefor screeched, emerging from the waters in a small alcove.

Desmond clung tightly to Valefor's back for a while, trying to gather his bearings as he breathed in deeply, reveling in the fresh, chilly air of the underground. Eventually, he slid off, opening his eyes as he held onto one of the chains that hung off his favorite. It was completely dark at first, he thought, but as his eyes adjusted, he saw that small patches of phosphorescent algae and mushrooms gave it a little light and made it beautiful. Green fog rolling through the tunnels of the cave reflected the little light, dazzling him with the way it danced.

"Figures," Ifrit snorted, and Desmond looked at him. He did not look pleased as he shook himself off. He winced, covering his eyes briefly as his elbow, knees, and back of his shoulders all lit up with flame. "Only the most ridiculously extravagant for the leviathan. If he's going to live in a cave under the sea, he may as well not even put this here."

Desmond tilted his head as he lowered his arm, finding Ifrit staring at him with a disapproving scowl. "Ready, novice?"

He rolled his eyes and nodded, setting off into the cave.

Much to his surprise, there were no treasures. There were hardly any monsters at all, and the only ones he saw were sleeping peacefully in little groups. He would stop and look at them closely, summoning Ifrit closer so that he could see better in the hazy green. The entire thing made him feel as if he were walking in a dream, and he stepped closer to Ifrit just to keep himself from going crazy. His jaw was set, and his legs and feet _ached_, but he was determined to prove to Ifrit—and himself—that he could do this. He had asked for adventure, and he was going to get it.

He also decided that the sleepy fog had put all the Tonberrys to sleep, and he felt more confident about the fact that he wouldn't die. It made it easier to look in every corner for something, and to progress to the fourth level of this ridiculous cave without problem. The phosphorescent plants were gone in this level, leaving him with only Ifrit to help light his path. The god was silent, but Desmond was okay with that as he continued exploring. He could tell he was being analyzed the entire time, always feeling those eyes on him.

When his stomach growled loudly, he rooted around in the magic pouch for something to eat, finding some sort of jerky that he summoned Leonardo for an okay to eat. After the fairy gave him his approval, he bit into it, pacing along with Sylph on his shoulder. It was quiet, but that was fine, and he was surprised when he saw a light farther into the cave. It was hard to tell anything other than that it was just a light, but he picked up his pace.

"Hey!" he shouted, not realizing that Ifrit wasn't beside him.

Leonardo was holding onto him as he ran toward it, realizing that whoever held the light was small. He could eventually see the outline of a small creature, with a round head and a fishy tail sticking out of a burlap-esque, hooded cloak. He crouched down, catching his breath as the creature turned to look at him. He looked at it, smiling. In one hand, it had a chef's knife, and in the other, a small red lantern. It was maybe two feet tall, with bright yellow eyes and shoes. He grinned, waving a hand.

"H-hey! Do you know your way around here?"

It took a step forward, and he watched it, realizing it had no mouth as he bit into the jerky he had in his hand. It held up the lantern as it watched him eat, and he tilted his head, offering it out.

"Would you like some? I don't mind sharing. I don't know how you'd eat it, but if you want some, I don't mind. There's no point in killing a beast for food if you don't eat it all, right?"

He laughed as it took another step forward. It was a slow beast, but it was super cute, and Desmond was tempted just to pick it up and hug it.

"Desmond…" Leonardo started, and Desmond shook his head.

"Hold on, Leonardo."

He turned back to the creature as it continued to pace forward. He plopped down, waiting for it to come within arm's reach before he offered the jerky again.

"I don't know if you eat this stuff, but it's not all that bad."

The creature stopped, looking at the jerky, and he jerked his hand back in surprise when it stabbed the jerky with the knife. He blinked, watching as it brought it up to its non-existent mouth and watched it disappear. He nodded.

"See? Not too bad. I don't know what creature was made into the jerky, but I didn't really want to waste the rest. I'm glad you like it. Ifrit!"

He turned to find the god, only to have him missing. He frowned, looking around before turning back to the creature, that was right in front of him, the lantern raised as it stared at him with those innocent-looking yellow eyes. He frowned.

"My light left me. Can I borrow yours? Or you?"

Leonardo was shifting uncomfortably on his shoulder. Desmond frowned, looking at him only briefly before turning back and meeting the creature's gaze.

"May I? I know it's a bother, but I don't know how I can see around here."

He watched as it turned around, walking off, when it paused and looked behind it, he jumped to his feet.

He fell in step beside the little thing. "You know, I never thought I'd do something like this. Thank you so much for all your help."

They walked a ways off before the creature stopped, and he looked down at it. It was staring back up at him, and he could feel Leonardo flinch when it stabbed the knife up at him. He cocked his head.

"Yeah, I can carry you."

He bent over and scooped it up, wrapping one arm under the feet and another under the arms, letting it guide him with its knife. Leonardo seemed less than enthused about him carrying the beast, but he ignored it until he found himself stepping into an open room with a giant lake at the bottom. He started walking around the edges, following the path, until the creature squirmed, holding up its light to reveal the crystal. It shimmered as if it was made of water, and he smiled.

"You're a blessing. Thanks for all your help. I'm afraid I don't have anything to give you," he murmured as he set the creature down. It stared up at him, and he winced. "I'm sorry. I don't have anything. The jerky is gone."

It jabbed up at him again with the knife, and he quirked an eyebrow.

"Uh… I guess I can carry you some more."

He bent back over and picked it back up, holding out the arm under the shoes to touch the crystal.

"And just _what_ is an ignorant child like yourself doing here?"

He turned to see an older man with a white lab coat standing a pace off.

"And just _how_ did you get to touch a Tonberry? Don't tell me you're the summoner. _Pathetic_."

He frowned. "I'm _a_ summoner. And this isn't a Tonberry. Those things are hideous and terrifying."

"It's true," Leonardo whispered into his ear. "That's what I was trying to tell you."

The older man sighed disgustedly and stepped forward to touch the crystal, but Desmond scowled, stepping in front of him and pushing him backward.

"Who the hell are you?"

The man sighed, irritated. "I'm Dr. Warren Vidic, now, if you'll excuse me, I have business—"

Desmond snarled. "I don't think so. I got here first."

Dr. Vidic's eyes narrow. "You are so ignorant, child, to think that you stand a chance against me."

He set the Tonberry down, letting it start to walk off, and he pulled his staff from his back, dismissing Leonardo as Warren called for two men dressed in guard armor. He watched as Vidic gave them instructions, preparing to summon an ally. When he felt sharp pain rip through his leg and Vidic give a verbal lashing to the man who had hurt him. He snarled, throwing his hand into the air.

"Adrammelech!" he shouted as he saw the men raise their weapons.

He saw the rune light up behind him as the creature stepped forward again, and when Adrammelech emerged, Desmond grinned.

"Already summoning me again?"

"Help?"

Talal rolled his eyes, scanning the enemies. "You have a Tonberry helping you? You should have no problem, then."

He watched as the men pulled triggers on their weapons as Talal prepared to fry them all with lightning, and he watched the creature swing its lantern. He stepped back at the mass of souls that appeared from it and engulfed the soldiers, causing them to fall over, dead, once the things returned to the lantern. Adrammelech laughed at his surprised expression as he stepped back, toward the crystal, and the lightning god sent a ball of lightning from his palm to Vidic, who staggered as he called for more men. Talal disappeared, much to Desmond's chagrin, and his leg still hurt like a bitch, but he decided perhaps he should help his temporary ally.

He called for the Mandragora family, which attacked the men Vidic summoned like savages, and his eyes widened and he stepped back again as the Onion and the Prince fell back, healing all of them and even his wound. He nodded his thanks and watched as they ripped at the men, clearing the way for the Tonberry to get closer, and by the time the Tonberry was close enough, one of the men stepped between them, catching the stab and falling over instantly, dead. Desmond's eyes grew even wider as he watch the Tomato rip into the neck of the other men, and there were more storming the tiny pathway with more technology he didn't understand, until he watched his allies get ripped to shreds, the only one standing the Tonberry and the Tomato.

He stepped back, again, as the Tomato was shot in the head. He gritted his teeth as the men advanced, surrounding the Tonberry. He stepped back, only to realize there _was no ground._ He pinwheeled his arms, smacking his hand against something, and he cried out for help as he fell toward the dark waters.

When his back hit the water, he looked to see two arms holding him and an amused face. He swallowed at the humored brown eyes and the two feelers that extended off the corners of the man's mouth. There were fins where ears should be, and the man had long black hair that was tied back with what looked like sea foam.

"You seemed to have mis-stepped, my darling. Let me help you."

He yelped as he was forcefully projected upward, landing on his rump next to the Tonberry, and he froze as he saw nothing but the barrels of the strange technology surround him. He watched as Vidic paced toward the crystal, and before he could reach out and touch it, a large wave of water rose from the lake. The same man was riding atop it, dressed in a beautifully woven white tee-shirt and green pants. He had fins coming off his elbows, his hands and feet as webbed claws. The backs of his legs were webbed, and there was a huge, shimmering fin that protruded from his back, trailing from the neck to the tailbone, and Desmond inhaled sharply when he noticed the scar on his lips that looked just like his.

He watched as the huge wave crashed over all of the evil men, sweeping them all into the waters. He could see the water around him, surrounding him, rolling over him, but not touching him or the Tonberry. He swallowed as the water pulled back, and he was left with just Vidic, the Tonberry, and his new ally, who was smirking as he stepped gracefully onto the path.

"You must be the man Rikkin sent for me, yes?"

Vidic frowned, glaring at the water god, not seeing as the Tonberry approached him. The god looked beautiful—although still not as beautiful as Shiva. He seemed a little less amused now, and perhaps a bit more dangerous, but nevertheless, Desmond knew he was on the right side. The man walked forward, and Desmond could see the water pooling at his feet, leaving little puddles where he walked.

"That does not matter," Vidic snapped, pulling out a button, and the water god gasped. "Your crystal will be ours whether or not you like it."

He went to press the button, but instead, as the man went to swipe it from him, grunted, grabbing his stomach, and Desmond's eyes were wide as he saw the blood quickly spreading from the wound the chef's knife made. The Tonberry simply blinked, watching as he fell. The man gurgled as it withdrew the knife, and he flinched at the slick sound it made. The water god paced over beside the little creature, meeting its gaze.

"Thank you, my friend."

He watched as the god summoned some water from the lake to clean the knife off, and Desmond swallowed when he saw him turn and look at him.

"The summoner, hm?"

"Yes, although I am still not inclined to believe it."

He jolted when Ifrit appeared from nowhere, and he watched as the fish god nodded at the other.

"He seems young."

"You say that of all who plead your help."

"If I go, however, I will have to lift the fog, and that will allow Titan's and Anima's destruction to reign in those regions."

He watched as Malik turned that sharp gaze upon him, his one arm dangling at his side.

"Desmond will be fine. Of that I am sure. By sheer stupidity, he befriended the Tonberry, and I'm sure he will continue to befriend other beasts as we travel. Your help would be appreciated when we go to tame Titan."

The god frowned, looking at the crystal. Desmond looked down when he felt the Tonberry bump into him, and he picked it up, cradling it in his lap as he looked back to the gods. Finally, the water god sighed and walked over to his crystal, touching it lightly and shattering it. He pulled back slightly as he watched him come walking over, staring down at him.

"Very well, I will help you. Give me your hand."

Desmond reached out from his spot, wondering where the amused god from the waters had gone, only to feel his skin crawl as he felt the water god's power absorb into him.

"Call me Ezio," the god said as he pulled him up, and Desmond nodded.

"You two look alike. Are you sure this boy does not have a diluted god-bloodline from some ancestor you helped spawn in your younger years?"

Ezio scoffed. "Perhaps, for now, let us get him out of here. He is trembling. He must be exhausted and hungry. The Tonberry said that he shared his only snack with him. Lend him your power, Malik. The boy will need our strength to withstand Titan—"

"Lucy's not going to be killed if she tries to come with, will she?" he asked, adjusting his grip on the Tonberry and frowning at the god.

Ezio looked at him, raising an eyebrow as his lips curled up. "Lucy?"

"His beloved," Malik said. "The only mature one among them."

"She must be impressive if she receives praise from you."

Desmond's stomach rumbled loudly, and Ezio looked at it. He looked down. "Sorry about that."

"You have been in here for almost twenty-four hours. Come. Let us get you food and rest. Adrenaline can only do so much."

He blinked as Ezio wrapped an arm around him, covering his nose and filling his nostrils with a pleasing smell. His eyelids grew heavy, and he found himself asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

When he woke, he found himself in a soft bed and silk sheets. His stomach was gurgling and talking vividly to him. He blinked, his fingers curling around the long round pillow he was laying on. As he trailed his fingers down, he realized it was a leg, and he shot up to see Kadar watching him. He sputtered when the man winked at him. He couldn't believe his head had been that close to his crotch—which normally wouldn't be a problem, but, when the god was wearing _almost nothing, _it made him freaked out just a bit. Ezio was sitting on his opposite side, that amused smile back, and Ifrit was busy scowling at the water god as he stood on the other side.

"Have a good rest? You've been asleep for quite a while."

"I-I—"

"I told you that you used too strong of a sleeping spell, idiot," Ifrit hissed.

"I couldn't help it. I have been putting out the other fog for so long that that one felt weak."

Ifrit growled, looking at Desmond, who moved back just a hair. "Your friends have been summoned to dinner."

At the thought of dinner, his stomach growled loudly, causing him to wrap his arms around his torso and groan. He could feel the vibrations from it rippling throughout his body. Kadar laughed, and even the water god chuckled. The good mood god was back.

"Come. I will show you the way."

He slowly rose, noticing he was still in his summoning robes and hat, and he grabbed his staff and trailed out behind Ezio, running slightly to fall in step beside him. He looked to meet those humored brown eyes staring down at him. There was something alluring, he mused, to the fact that even though he looked a lot like a humanoid fish, he was still beautiful. His fins shimmered and glinted in the light, and the water at his feet sparkled and played.

"Yes?"

He jerked. "Ah—n-nothing."

The god shook his head, smiling, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He moved in close to Ezio.

"I have heard it rumored you have a Sylph by the name of Leonardo?"

He blinked.

"Oh! Sylph!" he cried, throwing his hand in the air and grinning as Leonardo landed on the tips of his fingers.

"Yes, Desmond?"

"It's Ezio."

He watched the tiny head snap to look at the water god, then his eyes lit up, and he saw Leonardo flitting over to kiss Ezio's cheek. He looked even smaller against him, and Ezio laughed warmly, letting him sit on a finger as he kissed his head.

"You look well, Leonardo."

"I've been so worried about you!" the fairy prattled on, and Desmond smiled when he felt Ezio's grip tighten around him just slightly.

"Why? You know I can take care of myself."

"I know, but I heard the cries from Titan and Anima, and I was just so concerned that one day, Rikkin would get to you, and then you'd be in so much pain. I missed you. Don't do that again!"

He watched as the fairy hugged the side of his face, his arms stretched wide and hardly spanning the length of his cheek to his ear. He wondered if Leonardo may have been in love with him. Ezio ran a finger up and down his back in a comforting motion before letting him sit in the palm of his hand.

"I won't do it again, Leonardo."

"I don't believe you for a minute," the poor thing said with a sigh, and he almost felt his heart break when Ezio stroked his head with a finger.

"I'm sorry, Leonardo, but it must happen. At least I am safe as long as I am in Desmond's company."

Sylph sighed again, pathetically, quiet as they walked to the banquet hall and hugging Leviathan's thumb. When they finally arrived, the entire hall fell silent when they opened the door, and Desmond couldn't help but smile when he saw Shiva appear on his other side and felt Ifrit appear behind him. The king rose from his seat and opened his mouth, but before he could speak—

"You're still alive? I thought for sure you were dead!"

"Yeah, you should have seen him!"

He laughed at how Shaun turned bright red at Rebecca's exclamation.

"He was so worried! It was adorable—"

"I was _not _worried, you—'"

"He _paced_ whenever he had a spare moment! He didn't read at all!"

"I-I was _not_—"

"He was, too, Desmond, don't believe him!"

He grinned as he walked over to Lucy and the others. Lucy smiled at him, pulling him down to kiss his cheek and chuckling.

"Rebecca is right, you know."

The three gods were watching from the entrance to the banquet hall, and he sat when Shaun scooted over and made a space between him and Lucy.

"Those infuriating, hellish women," he heard the scholar mutter, and Desmond laughed as he turned to hug Lucy tightly.

"It's good to see you back, Desmond," she murmured, and his stomach growled harshly in response.

"Enough love for now, Desmond," Shiva said, walking over and sitting on the table, crossing his legs like a woman and looking at him, still wrapped in his cloak. "You need to eat. We can't have our beloved summoner wasting away."

"Well, we certainly can't have him getting _fat,_" the scholar spit, and conversation was beginning to return to the room.

He chanced a glance at the king, who looked _pissed_ at being treated so poorly.

"Some weight would do the kid good," Ezio said as he paced over, reaching for Lucy's hand and kissing it. "And you must be Lucy, the incredible woman who gained even Malik's praise."

"'Sides," Rebecca said, grinning when Ezio kissed her hand as well, "some of that fat would go to his ass, and I caught you staring at it at least once, Shaun."

Shaun sputtered as the thief roared with laughter, and Desmond covered his face with his hands. Ifrit had vanished, muttering something about stupidity like someone named Altair. Kadar sighed dramatically, leaning back on his hands as the chatter grew louder again.

"Don't listen to them, Desmond," the ice god said, looking at him. "We are trying to look out for you, and you are certainly skinny enough. Ezio is right: you need to expand your waistline by a bit. You are as skinny as a stick."

Leviathan smirked, tucking a finger under Shiva's chin and meeting the amused expression.

"I knew that someone as wise as you would agree."

"Your flirting techniques won't work on me."

"Are you sure?"

"Your sleep-addled brain must still be waking up, 'cause I'm sure."

Ezio grinned almost wolfishly before turning his attention back to the fairy in his hand, and Shiva blew Desmond a kiss. "See you later, Desmond!"

The god vanished in a cloud of ice, and he saw Ezio and Leonardo chattering merrily off to the side. He smiled as he helped himself to the food sitting before him. Shaun was still bright red, staring at his own plate, and Lucy was talking to the woman next to her.

"So, get me anything good?" Rebecca said, looking at him over Shaun.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I didn't. There wasn't anything there, but… I…"

He paused, looking to Ezio. The water god felt his gaze immediately and looked, quirking an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Where'd my friend go?"

Ezio blinked, then smirked and winked. "Why don't you give him a call? Leonardo will stay out on my power."

He blinked as Leviathan turned back to Sylph. Then, he frowned, pushing his chair back and standing, taking his staff from his back and concentrating. He wasn't sure if he had actually gained the right to summon his (allegedly) Tonberry friend. Then, he slammed his staff into the ground as he shouted for the creature, and a black hole opened in front of his staff. He stepped back, watching as his friend walked out. He grinned, putting his staff back on his back and scooping it up.

"Look! I did find a Tonberry!"

There was silence again from his friends and the surrounding tables, and he watched as Rebecca stood and walked over, looking confused.

"There's no way that's a Tonberry."

"It is," he said with a nod, meeting the innocent yellow gaze of creature. He set it down, and he watched as it looked around.

"That's not a Tonberry! That's too pathe—"

He heard her choke on her words, and he panicked when she collapsed, catching her as she grasped her stomach. He looked to see the chef's knife in the creature's hand dripping blood. Her eyes were blown wide as she grasped at the wound, and he turned to call out for Leonardo, who came flitting over. Ezio laughed as he paced over, the feelers at the corners of his mouth flicking with entertainment as he watched Leonardo heal the wound. The others were beginning to panic as the Tonberry paced around the table to see the entire hall. Rebecca scrambled back when she was healed as the monster came ambling back over, bumping into Desmond to be picked up. Leviathan looked inordinately pleased with himself.

"I did a good job of fashioning these creatures," he rumbled as he rubbed the Tonberry's head.

"Th-that's the fucking Tonberry?" Rebecca stammered, hiding behind Shaun. "It almost killed me!"

"It would have killed you had Leonardo not been right here," Ezio said, twirling a feeler around his finger. "I designed them to protect me. Why would they not kill those they perceive to be an enemy?"

Desmond scooped it up to hold it high enough to look over at the rest of the people in the hall.

"I'm not an enemy!" Rebecca screeched.

"You did call it pathetic," the water god responded, unamused.

"I told you that mouth of yours would get you into trouble one day," Shaun hissed, stepping forward. "Can I touch it?"

The Tonberry looked at him, and Shaun stared at it a moment before reaching forward slowly and touching the end of the snout.

"How fascinating."

The Tonberry held up its lantern, as if to see it better, and Shaun's gaze flickered to it briefly before tapping the glass. His eyes grew wide when it rattled and swung, moaning from the unavenged fiends reaching their ears. Desmond swallowed when Shaun met his gaze.

"This is extraordinary, Desmond. I can't perceive a single weakness on the creature."

Desmond smiled, adjusting his grip on the Tonberry and sitting down on the table. It poked at the food as the others slowly returned to their chatter, keeping an eye on the stranger with the beast that just tried to kill someone. Shaun was watching it as Desmond fed it, enthralled by the monster, and Lucy was acting a little cautious. He felt proud of himself as he ate, feeding the Tonberry a berry. He knew that Shaun was cataloguing all that information away, figuring out things with other stuff he had read and putting it all together. He couldn't wait to go help Titan.

However, by the time dinner was over, he felt as if he might not be able to. He was so full, having eaten too much, and Shaun teased him as he lay down on the bed, but he had Tonberry and that was okay. The creature was watching the life around it as the maids came and went, and Rebecca griped as she checked the magicked pouch. He felt good about life. Their clothes were being washed, and they were all sleeping in silken pajamas tonight. The Tonberry was sitting beside him, or standing, he wasn't sure if it could sit, watching Lucy train as Shaun started sketching the creature.

When the boy pulled out a berry, its head snapped to look at him, and it watched him closely. Shaun leaned forward, offering the berries out, and Desmond watched as it grabbed them with the hand that had the knife. The scholar watched as it brought the berries to its mouth, and he grinned when they disappeared.

"This is absolutely incredible, Desmond," the boy said, producing a few more berries from nowhere and setting them on the bed, watching it eat.

"I'm glad you think so. I like him a lot. When Ifrit left me in the cave alone without a light, he was what appeared."

"What happened while you were there?" Lucy asked, walking over and sitting beside him, placing a hand on his thigh and rubbing it briskly.

He smiled, telling her all about it as the Tonberry continued eating the berries. Shaun was presenting it with different kinds, documenting what it preferred as he occasionally looked at him. Desmond told her all about Vidic, and how he had died, and how the Tonberry could talk to Leviathan.

As the others wound down for bed, he lay there, wondering just what was going to happen. Without another word, he rolled out of his bed and slipped out of the room, wandering down the halls until he found a garden where Ezio was standing with Malik and Kadar. They were talking in hushed tones, and he waited at a distance until one of them noticed him. Ezio beckoned him over with a warm smile and a hand, and he walked over, his stomach twisting in knots.

"Yes, Desmond?"

All three of them were watching him, and he swallowed, deciding to go with a question he had been thinking about for a long time.

"Just who is Alan Rikkin?"

There was silence, then Malik snorted, billows of smoke coming from his nostrils. "Not _who_ but _what_."

He stared at the fire god, only to have his brother speak.

"He is a demon, a god cast down from the heavens."

"Why?"

There was more silence, a lengthier silence. Desmond frowned, switching questions.

"Who did the other adventurers fight? I've heard you mention them several times."

Kadar folded his arms, looking at the heavens, and Desmond looked up there as well, seeing nothing but stars. It was beautiful, yes, but he had a question he wanted answers for. He frowned and looked at Ezio, who was also looking to the sky. Ifrit was as well, and he wondered just what was so mysterious about the heavens it held all the answers.

"They fought and slew the other gods that were cast down from the heavens," Ezio murmured.

"Why were they cast from the heavens?"

There was that same silence as before, and Desmond was starting to get a little curious. Perhaps he could ask Shaun tomorrow before they left.

"Why do you live in the crystals?"

There was more silence, and he was getting extremely frustrated. Kadar chuckled, shaking his head and looking at his feet.

"I'm sorry, Desmond," he murmured. "We aren't trying to withhold information, but there are just some things that are unpleasant for us to remember."

He tilted his head. "Okay then, if you guys are gods, why don't you just take care of Rikkin yourselves?"

When he was met with that same infuriating silence, he was just about ready to explode with frustration.

"I wonder how he's doing," Kadar murmured. "He was an excellent leader."

"The only one to unite both Titan and Anima under his tactics with us," Ezio said, almost mournfully. "If only he had reached Zodiark…"

"Rikkin?" Desmond asked, hoping to get an answer.

Ifrit snorted with laughter, and both Kadar and Ezio were chuckling.

"What?" he growled. "What's going on? I want some answers!"

"You novice," Ifrit said, shaking his head. "We speak of Ultima, the god of the holy crystal."

"Why did he unite Titan and Anima with you guys? Who are Titan and Anima?"

"Titan is the god of the earth, and Anima the god of darkness," Kadar said, smiling at him.

"So why were you guys uniting?"

Ezio shook his head. "That is not for now, Desmond."

"How do I know that you aren't leading me to do something that will only destroy the world if you won't even tell me what's going on? Ifrit? Kadar? I bet Leonardo knows. He knows everything."

Ezio smirked. "Trust us, Desmond, we couldn't destroy the world if we tried. Not after everything we've worked so hard for."

"And what did you for?"

"That is not of your concern, kiddo," Kadar said.

"Then how do I know you're not lying to me?" he screeched, throwing his hands in the air.

It was Ifrit who laughed openly this time. "Listen to the boy: he's going as mad as Sibrand."

"Who the hell was Sibrand?" Desmond hissed, getting royally pissed.

"A comrade who was—"

"United with you, yeah, I know. What is so impressive about that? Why the hell were you guys uniting?"

He felt Kadar brush a hand through his shaggy hair, and he looked at him. Kadar actually looked _pained_.

"Kiddo, we'll tell you eventually. Just not… now."

He frowned, looking at the other two. Not only Kadar looked upset—Ezio and Ifrit did as well, and Ifrit looked about ready to punch something as he tried not to cry.

"We were so close, but they caged him."

"Brother, relax. We can still win this. We will be reunited, and we will have justice. They knew they would lose if they did not seal Zodiark away."

"I…"

Desmond found himself reaching out and wrapping his hand around Ifrit's closed fist. The god's gaze turned on him, and he recoiled slightly, but didn't let go. He was by no means small for his age, but standing next to these gods, he felt remarkably smaller, despite the fact that they were just slightly taller than the average man.

"I'm sorry, Ifrit. I'm just…"

"Save your apologies. If we were not so troubled by our own problems, we would tell you," Ifrit said. "And my name is Malik."

He found himself hugging the god, feeling him jerk with surprise. "I'm sorry, Malik. I'm just… I feel like I have a blindfold on. I'm curious, and this is my first time outside of my village."

He wasn't expecting to feel that arm wrap around him. It was tight hug, he noticed, and he almost didn't catch Ezio's murmurings.

"He looks more like Ultima than me."

He continued to hug Malik until he felt the god let go, and he pulled back. The fire god shook his head, and he offered a tiny smile.

"You should be off to bed," Ifrit said. "Tomorrow we go to the capitol of these lands. Perhaps you will meet a chocobo."

Desmond's eyes grew wide. "A red or black one?"

Malik shrugged. "Perhaps."

He bid goodnight to all of them and ran off, only to run into Shaun as he paced down the halls. He steadied himself before helping him up, ignoring the colorful swears. He watched as the scholar studied him closely.

"What are you doing up?"

"I was talking to the gods. And Shaun, I have a question for you."

The boy's lips twitched into a frown. "What?"

"I need to know about something, and you're the smartest guy I know."

Shaun gave him cautious look, but he didn't miss the flash of pride. "And that would be?"

"The heavens. What happened in the heavens? And the gods—what about them? Who is Zodiark? Tell me everything you know!"

Shaun looked positively stunned, and Desmond fidgeted as he waited, finally, the scholar's eyes lit with glee. He felt the boy grab his wrist and pull him along. "You have no idea, Desmond! There is so much to know! I have just the book to help you. I've read it a dozen times by now, and I know that it will help you! It's an ancient document, rumored to be over fifty thousand years old! It was presented to us by the capital city in the plains when the earthquakes started happening!"

He laughed as the boy pulled him into a massive library and into a walled off section of books, guarded by a monk he didn't know who let them pass only when Shaun pulled out an ID of some sort and pushed him through. He led him through several shelves of books before reaching one that was resting on a pedestal in a case of glass. He looked at it, not recognizing the language that was written on it. Shaun pulled out a copy of the book from inside the pedestal, and pulled him over to a bench, opening the book carefully.

"Okay, you said that you were interested in Zodiark, right? Well, there's a page about him in here. It's not very long, but it should get you started."

He nodded, and when he saw the page with a serpent of sorts caged in an arc with something restraining the head, he tilted his head. Shaun sat down beside him.

"All right, allow me to translate."

He scooted closer, leaning in listen.

"'Strongest of the scions created by the gods,'" Shaun began, moving closer until they were pressed together, "'they feared his growth, and so kept him a child. So indomitable is his strength that all things are by him twisted and pressed into oblivion. He alone fashions the laws governing all things, and administers punishment in place of the gods. So is he Keeper of Precepts, and his authority is absolute.'"

Desmond watched his eyebrows furrow. He watched him flip through the pages rapidly.

"That's it?"

"So then, who is Ultima?"

He watched Shaun jerk, and he grinned as the boy flipped around. He cleared his throat, and began to read as he settled on a page with a beautiful angel. "'Masterpiece among the scions created by the gods, and the mastermind of the plot to rise against them. Prior to her betrayal, she was tasked with guiding souls to heaven and aiding in their reincarnation. Called the High Seraph for her angelic wings of glimmering gold, yet it was on wings of deepest black that the tainted angel Ultima rose against the gods. Since her fall, her heart is without light, and impossible to know.'"

"But… the other gods said that Ultima was a guy."

"Perhaps a gender change? They are gods, after all. Nothing is beyond their power."

He looked at Shaun, who was brimming with energy now, and he let him continue to read to him about the war between the gods.


	7. Chapter 7

When morning came, it was Kadar who found them asleep together on the bench, the scholar tucked partly underneath the summoner as they slept on the books. Desmond stirred when Kadar draped his cloak over them, and he smiled sleepily as Shiva kissed his head, telling him to rest again for the big adventure today. He rested his head on Shaun's arm again, dozing off slightly until he heard Rebecca hollering for him.

Shaun stirred, and he cursed his luck. The boy was warm, and he was relatively comfortable in the position they were in. He grunted, backing off and rubbing his eyes as the scholar whined quietly, moving his glasses so that he could rub his eyes. Desmond yawned, stretched, and groaned at how nice it felt after sleeping hunched over books and Shaun all night.

"Shaun! I know you're back there! Come on out! You gotta see us off!"

"Shut up, you hag!" Shaun snapped, freezing only when he saw the summoner smiling doofily at him.

Shaun scowled, then looked back at the books and smiled slightly.

"Thanks for your help last night."

Shaun smiled at him, rubbing his eyes again. "It was no problem, Desmond. Imparting knowledge is something I enjoy doing, and the war of the gods is one of my fascinations. There's more knowledge of it in the capital city—"

"Yeah. We're going there now."

Shaun sighed. "That would be incredible to see the old city."

He shrugged, rising. Shaun rose with him and put the books away. When they were done, he paced out of the library with him.

"You're coming, right? I could use someone who knows about where we're going, since Lucy only knows about this town and the lands up north, and I know even less."

Shaun quirked an eyebrow. "Really? You're inviting me? I'm not worth much in a fight—"

"But you know about the monsters, and that's valuable knowledge."

Shaun blinked at him as they walked toward their room. Without realizing it, Desmond reached down and grabbed Shaun's hand, too used to taking human contact when he could after being shut in his room for most of his life, or flying around at night, occasionally stealing a moment with Lucy. He walked through the halls with the boy, who seemed stunned by the act of hand holding.

As they walked into the bedroom, he smiled, and Rebecca's eyes settled on their hands. Lucy nodded to him, gesturing to the trays the maids brought. He let go of Shaun's hand and walked over, settling on his bed and beginning to eat.

"Where are our clothes?"

"The servants said they were being dried right now."

"They had all night," Shaun hissed.

Rebecca shrugged, and as soon as they were done eating, the maids came in carrying different outfits. Desmond frowned. One of them handed him a green top with the fattest white pants he had ever seen, and a headband with a giant horn sticking out of it. The sleeves were as poofy as the Wyrdhare's tail, and the collar looked ridiculously stiff and uncomfortable.

"What the hell is this?" he growled, and the maid jerked, looking surprised.

"It's a gift from the king, sir—"

"I want _my_ robes. Not these… things. Really? A horn on my head? I want _my _robes. The ones that my summons gave me."

Shaun was sniggering. "It's a sign of statu—"

"I don't care!" he hissed. "I want my robes!"

"B-but sir," the maid protested, and Desmond hissed dropping them on the floor.

"Those robes were made for _me._"

"These are also made for—"

He shivered as he felt Shiva materialize, followed quickly by Ifrit and Leviathan. None of them looked pleased, and the maid was quaking. Kadar picked up the outfit, looking at it and wrinkling his nose, and Malik snorted in laughter. Ezio's expression turned into one of disgust.

"And just _what_ are these to do for him?" the water god asked, running the fabric through his fingers.

Kadar yelped when they caught fire and burned instantly.

"Well, they certainly won't help protect him against the elements."

Ezio snorted, looking amused. "And they would probably add six-hundred pounds when wet."

"And the material is so thick he would overheat!" Kadar hissed, poking at the ashes with his foot before smiling at the maid. "Tell the king we'll make him his own. Farewell, dear."

She fled the room quicker than Talal to get out of a fight. He glanced at Lucy, who looked much more intimidating in her new outfit as the gods chattered behind him. She had a black hooded shirt on with a white over shirt that was loosely tied with a black belt, and her shoulder guards were hung over the black undershirt. She had brown pants on tucked into high black boots and black gloves on. Her hair was being tied back by another maid with another black belt. She was biting her lip, trying to hide a smile.

"I like your outfit," he said

"Yours looked ridiculous," she murmured, swallowing her laughter. "I'm glad it's burned."

"You would have looked so dumb with that horn on your head," Rebecca said, laughing.

She was dressed in a red, sleeveless top like Lucy's, tied with a gold sash. She was wearing brown tights and black books, with a black wrap covering her mouth and neck. Shaun had on red boots and black pants, that same belt with a white shirt tucked into it. He had white gloves and a periwinkle colored-cloak with white edges and cuffs. The large white collar was held closed with a white sash and a stupid-looking pendent, and the hat on his head made Desmond snicker. It looked almost like an anvil, with two large tassels on both ends and the top half that same periwinkle. His staff was rather plain, and he tilted his head.

"A sage," Shaun said disapprovingly.

Desmond nodded, trying to hide his smile. He looked when he felt his clothes vanish and a shirt much like Ezio's appeared, followed quickly with pants just like it. He watched a deep red and black, shimmering cloak drop onto his shoulders, and he pulled his arms through.

"This will make you immune to fire, and with the temperate climate of the plains, this will serve you well."

"It will keep you from overheating, as crazy as that sounds," Kadar said, pulling shimmering white gloves onto his hands. "As well as nullify a little ice magic. Not as powerful as the cloak, but I like your hair, so no more hat."

Black boots materialized over his feet, and Ezio wrapped a hand around his shoulder as he changed the staff into one that seemed to be made of water, but wasn't wet to the touch. The top had a small shard of deep blue crystal set in it.

"You should be set now, Desmond."

He nods, looking at his friends, who are all watching somewhat warily. With a nod, he set out, following Shiva to the gates of the castle, where he paused when someone called for him. He looked over his shoulder to see Lucy and the others chasing after him, and Lucy had a set of beautiful metal claws. He was ready, he wanted to say, ready to go and explore beyond the wall that was no longer there, he noticed. The green fog was gone, and the wall that had loomed in the horizon was vanished. He motioned for her to hurry, and they did, and he was running out to the plains before the king could say goodbye. When he reached the edge of the city, he threw a hand into the air, summoning Valefor and climbing on his back, whooping as the bird-god shot into the air.

He looked out over the plains, his eyes wide as he looked over the endless expanse of green and tan spanning out in front of him. He was in awe as he looked at the horizon, noticing the outline of a large city far away. That must be the capital. He grinned, gripping Valefor's neck feathers tightly.

"Are you ready for this, Valefor? This is going to be so cool! Just imagine all the awesome stuff we can do in the skies here!"

Valefor screeched happily and landed, crowing, preening, and puffing with pride as he showered the bird with affection. Lucy and the others gathered around, and Valefor flapped his wings as Desmond scratched the bare stomach. He couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"Ready? Let's go!"

"Give us a second! Aren't you going to get prepared?"

"Why should I? We lived fine before cities, and we can live fine out there! Let's go!"

Shaun groaned, moving his glasses to rub his eyes. Desmond kissed Valefor's neck and dismissed him, turning around and marching off. Lucy sighed.

"Do you even know where we're going?"

"To the capital! This way!"

He lead them into the plains, watching as the bright green grasses and the black dirt from the volcano turned into tall, swaying, golden grasses that came to his waist and parted around them as they pushed forward. The first few hours were wonderful, the sun shining brightly and warming them as they wandered through the grasses, Lucy and Rebecca out front and him and Shaun in back.

Desmond was in awe. He didn't know anything like this could exist. This was beautiful, and he was falling in love. Once this was done, he was going to come out here and build himself a house, maybe marry Lucy, and have a child with her. Sure, he was young, but it was only a few more years back in the village to be married off. He closed his eyes as he walked, not noticing when Shaun stepped closer, brushing their arms together, and he grabbed his hand without thinking about it. It was perfect here.

The first half of the day was lovely. He didn't know that a sun could shine so bright, or make a person feel so warm inside and out. He could hear Lucy and Rebecca chattering in front, and he felt so nice and warm all he wanted was a nap. Thankfully, he noticed Shaun was quiet as they walked, not trying to disturb the wonderful day, talking only to Lucy and Rebecca. When they stopped for lunch, Desmond was distracted by the herd of chocobos a ways off. When Shaun came over, he was mesmerized by the knowledge the boy had, listening to him as he talked on and on about the birds. He wanted to be able to summon them so badly. He watched them play and squawk with one another, placated only by Shaun mentioning that the capital had chocobo races he could probably go to.

Lunch was a light affair, and Desmond was raring to go by the time they actually set out.

Which was a huge mistake. They saw all kinds of monsters—rats, wasps, highwaymen, wolves, jelly things, earthy creations of gems, bear-like monsters, and killer vines. By the time nighttime had rolled around, Desmond barely had enough energy to summon Shiva and request his watchful eye as they slept.

The next morning, he found himself curled with Lucy pressed against him, and he hummed complacently in the tent he didn't remember setting up. He smiled, nuzzling in closer. She hummed in response, and he yawned, settling down to sleep a little longer. When he finally crawled out and they continued on their quest, and he and Shaun were walking side-by-side, chatting lazily between fights. He was listening to him talk about the monsters they fought, and he kept pulling him back to chocobos, eager to know everything.

"You know, in the capital, there's a place called the Golden Saucer, and they're renowned for their chocobo races."

"Really?" he asked. "Would you come with?"

Shaun shook his head. "Sadly, no, the library there has already caught my attention. And I doubt that Rebecca will go, or Lucy."

"Why not Lucy?"

"She'll probably browse for supplies, knowing her."

He wrinkled his nose. "Then… who could I go with?"

"Why not by yourself?"

He blinked. "You'd really recommend that I go—"

"Well, no, but I am not giving up my chance to see the library. Besides, surely you can't do too much damage, and the—"

"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing to a blue chocobo in the distance. "I've seen red, blue, and black! Not just yellow! This is so cool!"

Shaun rolled his eyes. "Yes, I think you'll do well in the Golden Saucer."

He smiled. "I'm excited. I can't wait to see the capital."

Shaun shook his head, trying to hide the smile pulling at his lips. Desmond prompted him with more questions about the capital, learning about how to find his way there and to the hotel they would stay at. He learned about the games in the Golden Saucer and all of the exciting things that went on in the capital. He stayed up well into the night listening to Shaun talk, and ended up sharing a tent with him, waking curled up with the man, who seemed more than happy to make his place right in his arms as if he belonged there.

He listened to the boy lecture, thoroughly fascinated with everything there was to learn—occasionally interjecting with a piece of his own knowledge or a biting comeback to something Shaun would say. He enjoyed the man's company.

However, the same could not be said when the capital actually came into view.

Shaun seemed about ready to smack him, his temper becoming short as Desmond became more energized to get there. He was enthralled by the caravans and the people, the chocobos he saw and the beasts that crawled out of it. The buildings were high and elaborately decorated. There were golden beams and bright colors everywhere, and when he first entered it, he was almost washed into the sea of people. Streets had moving boxes pulled by chocobos, carriages he found out. Vendors hawked their wares loudly, filling his ear with noise, and children ran in the streets with pets—this world was so much more different from the one he knew. His village and Ethaea were nothing like this. He wandered along, not even realizing when the others dispersed.

"What an odd outfit," he heard someone murmur, and he turned to look, blinking at the stiffly and extravagantly dressed man and woman.

"I wonder where he's from."

He frowned. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

They looked surprised. "They're so… primal."

"Is that a problem?" He looked to see Kadar rest an arm on his shoulder as the couple gasped, and Shiva smiled down at him before looking back at the other two. "I made his clothes myself with help from my brothers."

"Just what are you?" the woman gasped, and the ice god laughed.

"I am far beyond your human minds. Desmond, where are you going?"

"The Golden Saucer!" he exclaimed, not noticing all the odd stares he was getting. "I want to see the chocobos races!"

Kadar laughed, grinning at him. "The chocobos races? Well then! Let's be off!"

"Actually," the woman started, "we're heading there now, if you would care to join us?"

Desmond perked up. "Really?"

"Of course, dear."

He nodded. "Thank you so much."

"Why don't you tell us about yourself while we walk?"

He merrily chatted about all of the things he had seen and the summons he had, the summons he was getting, and how he was super excited to see the chocobos and watch them race. When he saw the golden mushroom thing in the rise into the sky, he was in awe. There were lights all over it, and it was _massive_. The wonderful people helped him get in, looking thoroughly amused at the excitement he was showing. They told him to save his meager amount of gil for the betting, and he followed them faithfully to the betting counter. There were images of the chocobos in frames.

"Well, if it ain't the lord and his lady. Who's this?"

"This is Desmond Miles," the lady said (he couldn't remember her name), placing a hand on his shoulder. "A summoner from up north."

"North? Ain't that with all the monks?"

"Yes, but he's an exception."

"Well then, let's see what the summoner bets on."

He was already absorbed with looking at the pictures of the birds. He had always been able to connect well with animals (it probably had something to do with the fact that he was a summoner), and he could see that the blue chocobo stood the best bet of winning. The numbers and words, statistics and percentages were lost to him, and he pointed.

"Him. He's going to win."

The bet-keep roared with laughter, and he quirked an eyebrow.

"Kiddo, don't you see those numbers? They're there for a reason."

"The golden chocobo that lives here hasn't lost a race yet," the lord said, pointing.

Desmond frowned, looking at the picture of the bird. It looked sickly. There was no way it was going to win the race. He could _feel_ it in his blood.

_The blessing of the summoner,_ he could hear Kadar whisper in his ear.

He shook his head. "That one won't make it through the race. Look at it: it's sick."

They laughed again, but he insisted and put a small handful of gil on the blue bird the keeper said was always last. When the keeper suggested he bet all his gil, Desmond snarled, placing it all down and telling him that the blue was going to win. All three were taken back by his intensity, but when he got to the railing overlooking the racetrack, it was all forgotten as he stared down at the birds.

The lord appeared beside him. "So, this is your first time betting on a chocobo?"

He nodded, catching the gaze of the blue bird and waving. He laughed when the chocobo warbled and swayed back and forth merrily, fluttering its wings.

"I'll front you if you lose."

He rolled his eyes. "I won't lose."

The man shook his head, but remained by his side. Desmond let his gaze travel over all the birds, eventually resting on the gold-feathered chocobo. Its feathers didn't have the illustrious shine he expected of a _golden_ bird, and when it met his gaze, he watched as it squawked feebly and stared at him. He frowned: this was not going to end well for the poor thing. He watched as people gathered, occasionally looking back at the creature and frowning, and when the gates were unlocked, he winced.


	8. Chapter 8

The golden bird took off beautifully, and he couldn't stand it: he threw his hand into the air and called for Valefor, leaping from the railing and onto its back as it dove to the track. He saw when the chocobo's legs gave way beneath it, and it collapsed, and he rolled off Valefor's back to catch its head as the rider went tumbling. He saw the blue one shoot passed them as he pet the gold bird's neck and it cried weakly, and the other birds continued the race without even glancing at him. He shushed the bird as it warbled again, and he dismissed Valefor, summoning Leonardo. He shushed it a third time, stroking its neck as he saw people scrambling to get to the prized creature, and Sylph danced his way down the bird's body, occasionally healing when he saw fit.

The bird had tucked its head against his stomach, and he stroked the neck gently, frowning. He didn't understand how they didn't see it coming, and when he ran his fingers _through _the feathers, several of them came out, glinting dull in the bright lights. He followed behind the bird carriers at the chocobo's quiet squawk down to its stable, and sat there in the hay as they fetched a doctor. He dismissed Leonardo and summoned the Mandragora royal family, letting them run all over as he stroked its head. The bird responded positively to it, but Leonardo assured him it was fatigue and stress that had caused the collapse, and it would take several days for it to be back to walking.

He sat there, stroking it, as the doctor came and diagnosed it exactly the same. He frowned, wondering how long it had been since it had last been with others of its kind. Shaun had said that chocobos were social creatures and needed contact with many creatures all the time—especially of its own ilk. When Desmond asked, the caretaker admitted that it didn't have much contact with the others, instead being worked with for training and a whole bunch of bologna that made Desmond mad. The man had run away when the Topstalk screeched mightily, gnashing its over-sized teeth in direct response to its summoner's anger, and Desmond looked back at the bird, stroking it.

"I wish I could just take you with me."

The bird warbled softly, and he smiled. It must be falling asleep. It probably needed it. It probably needed lots of it. The Prince and the Topstalk were throwing the feathers around as the Queen curled up underneath its beak as the chocobo pressed its head into his stomach. The King and the Star were sitting on its body, swaying. He heard someone walk in, three people, actually, talking in relatively low tones.

"No, the boy would be down here, I'm sure. He followed the bird, right?"

"Yes, he did. I can't believe that blasted bird won."

"What on earth was that hideous creature he summoned?"

He jumped when he heard a lady scream, only to look and find the lord and lady standing in front of the stall, watching as the Topstalk played with the feathers that had been pulled out. When the tomato saw the people, it wound up to scream, and Desmond dismissed the family before it could.

"What in heavens' name was that?" the lady asked, still high-pitched and shrill.

"They've pulled out so many feathers!" the lord exclaimed, scowling, and Desmond frowned.

"That was your own fault, you bastard," he said, talking to the stable master that was standing behind them. "Chocobos are social creatures. He needs to be more social."

He glared at the man, then placed a hand on the ground and summoned the Tonberry. There was an uneasy silence from the people at the stall as the Tonberry looked over the chocobo, then patted its side with the knife as if to comfort it. He watched, still stroking the bird, as it fluttered a wing, and the Tonberry paced as close as it could to the head and held the lantern up.

"That thing won't kill it, will it?"

"No, it won't. I promise. I'm just giving it company."

He jumped slightly when a fat purse landed by his leg, and he looked at the lord, who was smiling.

"You won. Just like you said."

Desmond shook his head as he attached the fat purse to his belt, and the Tonberry looked at him. He met its gaze. Tonberry rattled its lantern, and he tilted his head. It seemed to be getting frustrated. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he felt a whisker tickle his ear.

"He wants you to take the chocobo for a summon."

Desmond jerked, and the bird warbled feebly.

"Even it does."

"I—I can't do that! This is a racing bird!"

"Do what?" the stable master growled, and Ezio rolled his eyes, crouching behind Desmond and running his hands down his arms to cover his hands.

The god's hand completely covered his own, and he wondered just how the gods were so much bigger than them, yet seemed to blend in naturally. The bird's wing fluttered again, and he grunted when it pressed its beak harder into his stomach, and Ezio chuckled warmly.

"Take the bird, Desmond. It's run well past its use. It will recover, but it will never race again," he murmured, and his warm breath sent shivers down his spine.

"That's ridiculous!" the stable master roared, and the lord and his lady protested as well.

Ezio turned and looked at the people.

"You can't take the bird! He brings in all our money!"

The god harrumphed, wrapping an arm around his waist and pressing against him. "Desmond, the bird will be restored if you let its power join you. And, you can fit both you and Lucy on a chocobo. It will make travel easier for you. Here it will be shipped off to work in the fields."

"I forbid you—"

He flinched when Ezio rose.

"And just who are you to stop us?"

"I am the stable master! You can't just take birds that owners have given us—"

"He's the worst kind of idiot there is," he heard Malik growl, and he watched the flash of fire appear in front of him, giving way to the fire god. "The talkative kind."

Leviathan snorted, looking at the man. "He can deny neither the summoner, nor the beast, because it is ultimately the beast that chooses to give itself up, and if the chocobo wishes it, Desmond does not have a say."

Desmond looked at them, then leaned over and rested his head on the bird's neck. It was so much easier just to bury his face in the feathers rather than listen to the gods argue with a man. The chocobo was warm and comforting, and he knew it was going to be easy to fall asleep against it.

"I wish you would come with me," he mumbled into the feathers as he inhaled.

The bird smelled nice, and he felt it flap its wings feebly before he yelped as his face was planted into the hay as the bird disappeared. He could feel the magic flowing up his fingertips and through his body, much like with the others. He pushed back up, looking around wildly as the stable master howled.

"Chocobo! And Tonberry! They're gone!"

He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, and he looked to meet Malik's fiery gaze. "Come on. Let's go. It's nighttime, and the others are expecting you."

"I'm not letting you get out of here without giving me my chocobo back!" the stable master roared, and Desmond gritted his teeth.

"I'm not letting you hold up the chosen one of the gods, but the people in this city have long since forgotten us," Ezio said, looking thoroughly unamused.

Malik pushed him forward, toward the outside of the stable cell, and Ezio frowned at the stable master.

"You will forget we were here, ignoramus, before I burn down the Golden Saucer. Or did you not realize that the flames on my back are flames?" Malik hissed.

The stable master glared at them, and they walked out without another protest. Desmond looked over his shoulder, thoroughly upset. The lord and the lady looked shocked, and when she noticed his sad expression, she smiled softly and waved goodbye. The corner of his lip curled upward, and he waved, hoping he would see them again.

Malik and Ezio guided him to a grand hotel, with many fine lords and ladies coming and going—or, at least, Desmond assumed they were lords and ladies because they were all dressed so nicely. They ushered him in and up ten flights of stairs to a room, and Ezio knocked. Lucy opened the door, smiling when she saw him, and he grinned, hugging her.

"Just wait until you see the chocobo I got!"

She jerked. "Chocobo?"

"Yeah!"

"Long story," Malik hissed, disappearing with Ezio.

Lucy pulled him into the lavish room and onto a balcony. He noticed the two beds inside it, the ornately decorated furniture and the expensive bed sheets. On the balcony, he could see the city still teeming with life. He was slightly surprised when she wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned on the balcony.

"So, tell me what happened."

He pressed against her back, tightening his arms and resting his chin on her shoulder. He told her everything that happened, ending with how the lady had waved back. By the time he was done, he could hear the door open as Shaun came walking in, Rebecca close behind.

"I really don't see why I had to leave, Rebecca," Shaun snipped. "It would have given the two _lovebirds_ more private time."

"Oh, Shaun, now you're just being stupid."

"Just look at them," he heard Shaun hiss, and he looked over his shoulder to see the boy standing there, fuming.

"Look, I know you're jealous of Lucy—"

"I am not!" Shaun screeched, sitting on one of the beds and muttering to himself as he opened a book.

Desmond let go and walked in, smiling at them. "Hey."

Shaun sent him a dirty look as he sat on the other bed, and Rebecca tisked.

"You're sleeping with Shaun tonight, buddy. But, no frisky feel-ups of my best friend while I'm around."

Desmond frowned, giving her a confused look. "What?"

"You share with Shaun since he's also a boy. At least he's slightly older than you."

Shaun sputtered indignantly, and Desmond sighed. "Whatever."

He sprawled out on the bottom of his and Shaun's bed, missing the wink Rebecca sent Shaun as he summoned the Wyrdhare to play with. The good thing about being a summoner was that he was never alone. He smiled when it smiled at him, waddle-hopping down his stomach and back before letting him scratching its neck and chest. He grinned at the super soft fur.

It didn't take long before Shaun was distracted by the beast, scooting closer and reading as he pet the head and back, and Desmond's grin didn't falter as Shaun tried to keep the scowl in place but was unable to as he pet the hare. Lucy and Rebecca were chittering off to the side, and Desmond couldn't help it, wanting to tell Shaun about what he did.

"I got a chocobo, today."

Shaun's hand froze, and he saw the boy look over his glasses at him.

"I did. A gold one. Ezio helped me."

"A… gold…"

"Chocobo. It collapsed of stress and fatigue on the racetrack."

"So it's lame."

"No, not anymore. Not now that it's in my power."

Shaun straightened, and the Wyrdhare looked at him, sending him a confused look as to why he stopped petting it. The sage muttered an apology and began petting it again, listening to the happy clicking noise it made. He was regarding Desmond carefully.

"How did you get it?"

"It wanted to come with me."

"How much did it cost?"

"Nothing. I took it. And won the race, too."

"Surely they didn't just give away a prized gold chocobo."

"No, but Malik and Ezio helped me."

Shaun rolled his eyes. "The brutes. I'm not surprised."

Desmond chuckled, and the Wyrdhare hopped from his chest to wander around the room. His eyes followed it lazily. He remembered Shaun getting excited at the mention of a golden chocobo—much more so than Lucy when he told her. Of course, Shaun knew the apparent value of such a bird.

"Do you wanna ride on it with me tomorrow when we go to the earth cave?"

There was silence, and he chanced a glance at the boy, who looked utterly surprised. He smiled at him, waiting for a response. It was fun to watch the shock change to mild distrust, then to hesitant excitement.

"Come on: I remember how excited you got when talking about the golden chocobos. I won't hurt you."

Shaun heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Fine. If you insist."

Desmond grinned, dismissing the Wyrdhare before climbing into the bed after taking off his cloak and boots. They ordered dinner to their room, and he was intrigued by the outfit the person delivering the food wore. He tilted his head, accepting it and thanking him with a handful of coin before pulling the cart in. By the time he was asleep, his nerves were alight with excitement for tomorrow.

He woke to find Shaun snuggled in his arms, and he hummed softly, settling down. The boy smelled like a library, and he found it wonderful. The sage shifted slightly, tucking his head under Desmond's chin and exhaling against his neck softly.

"Aren't they just adorable?" he heard Rebecca say.

"I suppose," Lucy said in that irritated voice he had come to watch out for.

"Oh, come on."

"I'd hate to think I was losing to a _boy_."

"You're so petty. Shaun's actually _smiled_ with Desmond. I've never seen him smile. Come on: there'll be plenty of fish in the sea for you."

"And plenty for him, but I don't want to lose him from my hook."

"They're perfect for each—"

"Desmond may be perfect for Shaun, but _I'm _better for Desmond."

"You are a bitch!"

"I don't want to lose Desmond. I've been his only friend for years."

"You still have ages to get married—"

"Marriages happen when the men turn seventeen. By then, they've been shipped out for a year and have had a chance to make a living."

"That is so stupid."

"Desmond's turning seventeen in a month. He wasn't shipped out because he was a pariah in our village."

"What makes you think you would have married him?"

"Because his father approached me with thanks for befriending his son. His father wanted his line carried on, but he had only one kid before his wife died."

Rebecca snorted. "You're retarded. Fucking stupid. Those two are great for each other. You'll just have to find someone else, 'cause I'm not gonna stop."

He grunted, stretching out and grimacing at Shaun's quiet protest. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and smiled at the girls as Shaun resituated himself against Desmond.

"Morning!" Rebecca chirped, and the summoner hummed in response.

He yawned, stretching again before settling one arm on Shaun and blinking.

"Hi, Lucy," he said with a soft smile.

Lucy smiled back, returning the sentiment, and he let himself lay there until Shaun stirred. By the time they were ready to go, he could tell that Shaun and Lucy didn't like each other. He felt torn. It wasn't that he didn't like Shaun, because Shaun gave him opportunities he wouldn't have otherwise, but he did want to have his own child someday to rear. Besides, there were more important things to worry about, he told himself as he summoned the golden chocobo on the outskirts of the town while Lucy and Rebecca bought another chocobo to ride. He had to concentrate on his mission, first and foremost. Then he could worry about marriage and other things.

He found himself smiling at the astounded expression on Shaun's face as he stared at the chocobo, who glimmered and twinkled in the bright sunlight. That was how a golden chocobo should look. Not like the one in the Golden Saucer. His smile grew bigger as the sage stepped to touch the bird, trembling as he placed a hand on the feathers. The bird warbled, tugging on a short strand of hair that was peeking out from under the boy's hat, and Desmond jumped slightly when Shaun hugged the bird's neck. The chocobo warbled again, fluttering its wings as it lowered its head to tap Shaun's back with its beak.

"This is incredible!" Shaun exclaimed, still hugging the bird as he looked over his shoulders to look at the summoner.

Desmond stood there, unable to keep the smile off his face as he watched the boy fawn over the golden creature. Finally, when Rebecca and Lucy returned with their chocobo, he helped Shaun onto the summon before hopping on behind him and laughing at the crow his new friend made. He held onto the neck feathers, pressing against Shaun as the bird started running. He could hear the other two behind them, but he knew the golden chocobo knew the way to the earth cave.

The plains returned to golden grasses and warm sunshine, and he could hear Shaun laughing as the chocobos ran. Eventually, the chocobos slowed to a walk, and he could feel his summon's discomfort. He patted its side, stopping and switching positions with the sage so that he could rub its neck.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

The chocobo simply warbled in response. His eyes grew wide as they kept going and he started to see ruined machinery _everywhere_. The chocobos steered away from the encampments of tents scattered throughout the scenery, and finally, a large hill came into view as they walked over an uphill incline. The chocobo screeched as it tumbled when a large earthquake ripped through the area, and Desmond watched as a large fissure appeared when he finally righted himself, checking to make sure no one was hurt as he dismissed the birds.

"What the hell?" Shaun asked, but Desmond was already running into the maze of technology toward the entrance of the cave.

He could feel an ache deep in his bones, as if the earth itself were crying out in pain. He didn't hear his friends as they ran behind him, and his only concern was to figure out what was going on. Surprisingly enough, there was no one there, and he peeked into the cave, only to have his jaw drop. There was machinery everywhere, steaming and pumping away, carving out the rocks in the cave, and Desmond scowled, summoning Talal.

"Yes? I see no enemies."

"Destroy it," he growled, pointing to some of it.

The demi-god looked at him, but didn't question it, shooting a large bolt of lightning from his hands to cause the machinery to explode. He snarled when he saw men come rushing over, a few freezing at the sight of the god, and a few challenging him. When his friends joined him in the fight, he almost told Adrammelech to fry them, only to see giant pillars of black energy engulf them. He jerked back, looking when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You're brave! Still an idiot, but brave!"

He was met by a head of brown hair and amused brown eyes.

"Sure, just go ahead and barge right in. Good thing I was hired to help you."

"And who are you?" Lucy asked, scowling.

Desmond realized the man was wearing black armor—armor that seemed to absorb light as the man bowed.

"Clay Kaczmarek, the dark knight, at your service. I was hired by a couple back in the capital. You were hard to keep track of with those huge-ass chocobos running through the plains, but I managed."

Still, Desmond frowned and pushed passed him, walking off. "Come on. We gotta help whoever's here."

"We'll need a plan," Clay interjected, causing Desmond's frown to turn into a scowl. "There's too many of us—"

"We have a plan," Desmond hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Kill them."

He marched off without waiting for a response, Talal still behind him, laughing at his anger. When they approached the next set of machinery, Desmond watched as the thunder god summoned the heavens' lightning, frying not only the machinery, but also the people around it. Adrammelech disappeared, and as he continued, he heard Clay laugh.

"Well, looks like we do have a plan."

For the next series, he summoned Salai, watching him crush the machinery, and the fourth wave of people and machines were thrown into a crevice earthquake and a deafening roar ripped through the cave. Desmond could feel his rage building, unable to stop it. It was as if he had no control over himself as he led his group through the cave, destroying everything in his path. He didn't hear Clay and the others talking, and he didn't care that he had a new friend he could make, because the only thought on his mind was _kill_, and he wanted to soothe the ache in his bones. For one or two of the fights, he let the new boy kill them with the dark pillars of magic summoned when he stabbed the ground, and he concentrated more on healing them.

Every few steps there were monsters that would attack, and more than once he was aided by monsters in destroying the machinery, only to have to kill them afterward. The earthquakes grew worse as they grew nearer the middle of the cave, and Desmond was trembling he was so angry. All of the machinery was destroyed, all of the humans had been fried, and he was still mad. Even though they were in a sheltered alcove, he couldn't calm down. He was exhausted, all his magic spent, but he couldn't settle down, pacing about and glaring at his friends.

"Desm—"

"What?" he snapped at Lucy, unable to help himself as she jerked.

He snarled, picking up the pace a notch as he clenched and unclenched his hands.

"Looks like he's got anger issues," Clay started.

"I do not!" he spit, his hackles rising in anger as he stared at the newcomer. "And watch what you fucking say or else I'll wipe that fucking smile off your damn mouth!"

They all looked a little alarmed, all except Shaun, who watched with interest.

"What?" he snapped at him, clenching his fists again.

Shaun nodded. "I was right: you are connected to those creatures you meet before you can summon them."

He snarled. "What the hell do you mean?"

He staggered as another earthquake ripped through the alcove, followed by the loudest roar he had ever heard, and he snarled again, fisting his hair and doubling over. He could feel the pain in his bones—not as bad as before, but still there and haunting him, and he just wanted it to stop. He grunted when the gods appeared beside him.

"He's affected him more than we thought."

"Titan was always good at manipulation, and you must admit it made him get through the cave much quicker than before," Malik murmured.

"That manipulation was also good in our fight," Kadar said, running a hand down his back.

"His strategies were brilliant."

"Not brilliant enough," Malik hissed.

"We will finally win this," Ezio said, not even staggering at another earthquake. "Soon enough."

"I hope you're right," Kadar murmured. "Ezio, put him to sleep. He needs rest."

He didn't remember anything except the worst dreams of his life.


	9. Chapter 9

He was the first one awake, and he was pacing by the time the others were ready to go.

"Calm down, buddy," Clay said.

"Don't even try: Desmond can feel the anger of the god," Shaun said.

"What god?"

"The earth god!" Desmond hissed. "And hurry it up so we can end this!"

By the time they were done, Desmond was walking out the door, taking the back seat in fights until he was standing right in front of the dark brown crystal. He reached out, touching it and wincing when the world disappeared and he found himself in a hallway. A man in chains was at the end of it, and he started toward it.

"Who are you?"

He paused, barely restraining his desire to help the god. He was bald and large, his muscles well pronounced and his skin dark like the earth. His accent was interesting, and he found himself twitching with anticipation.

"I am Desmond," he said without waiting. "I have been summoned by Shiva to help you, and Ifrit and Leviathan now walk with me."

The man laughed. "Come forward, summoner."

He stepped forward, walking until he was stand in front of him.

"Help me—but be aware, my tormentor waits outside of this crystal 'haven,'" he spat.

He nodded, helping him get off the chains. The man stretched, flexing his muscles and snorting.

"My name is Robert."

Desmond nodded. "I'm ready to fight, if you lend me your strength."

The man snorted. "You will need more than me for he has muted my power."

Desmond grinned. "I'm three gods ahead of you."

The world vanished, and he blinked as he was met by an old man with a lame eye.

"So you are the summoner."

Desmond pulled his staff from his back.

"Be at peace: I have no wish to fight you."

"Then why are you here?" he growled, looking at him.

He could see Lucy, Rebecca, and Clay moving into a battle formation, and he could feel Shaun beside him. The old man shook his head slowly.

"We wish to excavate the mountain for the metal wealth we find here. Is that so bad? To help to prosper the human race?"

He eyed the machines that were coming behind him and the soldiers on foot.

"My. Fucking. Ass."

The old man sighed, and Desmond scowled. "You're not getting a hand on this crystal if it's the last thing I do! Fight me, you old codger, or I'll kill you where you stand!"

"You foolish child," he murmured. "If you'd just let us through to the crystal. We have been trying for years now to get passed the barrier around the thing, and a child like you has no idea the power behind such a god."

He snarled, slamming his staff into the ground. "Adrammelech!"

The man's eyes narrowed, and he backed off as the machines came forward and the god of lightning appeared.

The god roared with laughter. "Always in the thick of things, hm?"

The others sprang into life, and he was alarmed at the amount of damage the machines did. By the time Talal used his Judgment Bolt, the machines were only halfway down, and he dismissed Adrammelech in favor of summoning Asura, who helped pull Clay back on two feet. He watched as his friends got pounded, summoning the healers countless times to help them out. They whittled away at the machines until they finally crumbled, and the old man raised a hand, causing the soldiers stepped back.

"Let me fight the summoner. His skills are wasted in a group like yours."

"What's your name, old fart?" Desmond growled, catching the ether that Rebecca threw to him.

He never broke the gaze once, not even as he popped the cork out and drank it, wiping his mouth on his sleeve as he tossed the bottle back to her.

"You may call me Al Mualim, just as these gods did so long ago."

He jerked when he watched the man's skin bubble and fizz, and melting and dripping off as he formed into a monster, the other eye clouding over as the face elongated and the skin paled to a green color, drying and shriveling, pulling over skinny bones and frying its way deep into his memory. Dark, earthen lumps and veins of the ugliest brown appeared under his skin, unfurling as if they were alive, and the teeth twisted and turned into the nastiest looking things he had ever seen. The arms dangled in front of him, and as he looked into the clouded over eyes, he swallowed, feeling his legs tremble. Lucy went to step in, and an arm swiped, flinging her from the arena. The skin narrowed the eyes, and the creature roared. Desmond swallowed, stepping forward. He knew that Shaun was taking care of Lucy for him, and now it was his turn.

"Well? Will you not summon one of your beasts?" the creature roared, and he brought his staff up as the beast swung at him.

He was forced back from impact, watching it as his arms began to bleed and hardly moving out of the way in time when it swiped at him again. He was in for it now.

"Desmond!" he heard, and he dodged another blow.

It was Shaun. He half-paid attention as he dodged blows from the monster.

"It has no protections around it, although it might use some sort of water-based move, thus pacifying any earthen moves! Fire is useless, and Ice will do slightly more damage than normal! Don't try lightning! It's earth and water, so then only water will work normally! Air, however, wind! Use that! It's weakness is wind, and any gravity is nullified!"

He yelled when he caught the full brunt of one of the blows, thrown back against the wall, and he staggered to his foot. It had gotten his other leg well, and he couldn't feel it now. Still he readied himself, shouting out loudly for Valefor. The bird came screaming down, and he commanded it to fight in his stead as he trembled, searching in his pockets for a potion. His leg gave way beneath him, and he couldn't catch himself as he fell. When he finally found a potion, he commanded Valefor to use the sonic wing attack that he had practiced with him forever.

He spilled some of the potion over his fingers as he opened it, cursing his trembling as he dumped it over the wounds on his stronger arm. It soothed the wound a little, leaving most of the injury still bleeding but not as deep, and he repeated on his other arm, looking down to see his leg at an angle it really shouldn't be. He was surprised he wasn't feeling much pain right then, but realized it must be a by-product of the adrenaline in his veins.

"Valefor, use Aeroga while he's still recovering!"

His best friend did, and he heaved a sigh of relief as he saw it gracefully dodge all of the attacks. He smiled slightly, watching as his prized summon fought the monster without help on his part.

Until he watched in horror as rocks rained from the cave top, crushing his favorite bird. He screamed in pain as one landed on his leg, rendering him stuck. The monster turned its hideous eyes on him, and he called out for the Mandragora family, trying valiantly to push the rock off his leg. By the time he did, his leg was completely numb from toe to his thigh, and it was a lovely shade of everything. He inhaled deeply, watching as the monster swiped desperately at the little tiny things, doing more damage to itself than his summons. He watched as the Queen came running over, hopping back and forth and bringing his leg back into a nice 3-D shape again. However, that caused the pain to race up his body, and he whimpered as he doubled over. When he saw the Topstalk be smooshed beneath one of the monster's feet, he leaned heavily on his staff as he pulled himself up. He met its gaze defiantly as it came stomping over, his fingers slick with his own blood and struggling to find purchase on the staff to get him on his foot.

"Such arrogance will get you killed, boy!"

Desmond snarled, his leg useless as he held onto his staff with white knuckles and the blood dripping from his elbows as it slid down his skin and into the saturated cloth.

"I'm not dead yet!" he screamed. "Shiva!"

He felt the entire ground rattle, causing him to fall on his rump as he caught the beautiful cloak and wrapped it tightly around his arms. He watched as the beautiful god fought for him, dancing and weaving out of harm's way, and when he saw Shiva fall, he gave a catty grin.

"Why do you smile, boy?" the beast roared. "Your last chance has fallen!"

He laughed, perhaps due to the hysteria of the situation and the fact that he was covered in his own blood, his leg broken into a million pieces and he was tired. But still, he laughed, slapping a hand on the ground and summoning his Tonberry. The monster roared at such a tiny creature, but Desmond kissed its head and laughed again, turning it into a moan as pain shot up his side from his leg. The little beast stepped forward, and the monster swiped at it. The Tonberry blinked, almost absorbing the attack, then lifted its lantern. The small chains creaked as the flame inside began to moan. The glass that separated it from the real world rattled and clanked, ringing out in the noisy room, able to be heard above everything. It rocked the lantern back and forth, until the flame grew black and the moaning grew louder as Desmond grinned like a lunatic, giggling as the spirits burst forth.

He could hear the monster scream as the spirits tore into its flesh, biting, clawing, and avenging themselves. He laughed as the spirits continued to pour from the tiny lantern one after another, devouring, tormenting, and the monster's wails grew louder and louder as it was surrounded by the black magic of every soul it had ever taken. The screams turned to moans, which turned to silence, and the spirits retreated to their lantern. The room was still, and there was no more monster. A lifeless husk fell to the ground, sending tremors throughout the room, cloudy eyes now dead. He could see the soul of the monster clawing at the glass as it was confined to the damned life it had asked for.

The Tonberry came pacing over, and he pulled it into a hug, exhaling as his hysteria left him, and he buried his nose against the burlap cloak. Ezio had known what he was doing. Tonberry had saved his life. He closed his eyes for just a moment as he rested his head on the creature's shoulder, and he passed out.

When he woke, he was lying under a starry sky, feeling absolutely numb. He couldn't feel his arms, and his leg could have been amputated, and he'd never know. He stared at the stars before he realized he wasn't alone. He could hear others pacing around, and he assumed there was a fire, but he wasn't actually concentrating on anything other than the stars. They were so bright and beautiful, and he blinked when a face appeared beside him.

"So, you're alive, huh? Good thing, too, so Shaun will stop freaking out."

"I am _not_ freaking out!"

"Oh, then that must not have been utter horror at running out of curative magic. Must have been celebration."

He stared at the boy with the black armor.

"Think you can sit up?"

He blinked.

"I doubt he even knows who you are," Shaun hissed.

"Oh, come on, Des, surely you remember my name."

Desmond blinked, wanting, for all the world, to see Ezio with his Tonberry and Kadar. As if on cue, he watched as the kid jumped back, yelping, and he blinked when he saw his two gods, one of them holding the Tonberry in his hands. He reached slowly, summoning all his strength to lift one arm to touch his Tonberry friend. It was then he noticed the bandages and thick gauze wrapped around his arm. The lantern shook in greeting, and he grunted when the creature was set on top of his chest. His hand fell with little resistance, and Ezio kissed his head before disappearing.

"You had us all worried, even Clay, the new-comer."

Desmond blinked, still feeling rather numb, and Kadar combed a hand through his hair, the other across his stomach as he leaned against the Tonberry. Desmond closed his eyes, and he felt the Tonberry move off him and begin to wander around.

"You should have seen Shaun. They had to hide the ethers from him. And the potions."

He exhaled softly, feeling the cool tips of his fingers trace over his lips and cheek. He hummed when he felt cool lips kiss each of his eyes. The god kissed his forehead as well, and he could feel his cold breath as he spoke.

"I told them to store them away for when we fight, for real emergencies."

He felt Kadar stretch out along the length of him, and he fell asleep quickly. He woke up later that night, his eyes clenching closed as he gritted his teeth. He could feel his arms and leg now, and he grunted in pain. When he felt someone stir beside him, he looked to see Shaun, thoroughly disheveled and exhausted, look at him.

"Desmond?" he slurred. "Is everything okay?"

He exhaled, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You're in pain, aren't you. Here. I told them to let me apply a mega potion, but did they listen? No."

He inhaled loudly at the feel of hands on his leg and a warmth spreading throughout him. He swallowed, groaning softly as the pain receded. He opened his eyes to see a slightly surprised expression, and he grunted

"T'nks," he uttered, closing his eyes again.

There was silence for just a moment before he heard a quick, "Just don't do that anymore."

He grunted when the boy curled up against him, and he could feel himself drift off quickly with the warm body beside him. When morning rolled around he was feeling slightly better, a nice weight on his chest and warmth all along his side. He grunted as he flexed his fingers, tightly bound in their bandages. He groaned as he stretched, wincing as pain shot up his leg. He felt the body next to him stir, and he saw sleepy brown eyes turn upon him.

"Still okay?"

He grunted, squeezing his eyes shut, and he felt the boy shift. He felt hands on his leg, and he sighed contentedly as warmth flowed through him again. Shaun rubbed his eyes afterward, sitting up.

"Feeling better now?"

He looked at the boy, who was staring at him. He smiled.

"Thanks," he croaked.

He let Shaun help him over to the fire's coals, and he stoked it to bring the flame back to life. He watched as the sage made breakfast and brought him over a small plate, and he ate it slowly, feeling the ache radiating in his arms. The others were waking up slowly, roused by the smell of food, and he couldn't help but watch. Rebecca was the first one to wake, settling down as Shaun handed her food. Lucy was next, followed by the new boy, and by the time they were all done eating, he saw all four of the gods appear. Clay jerked, swearing fluently.

"Well…" Kadar murmured, looking at him.

"It's time to send him to Anima," Robert said, crossing his arms.

"Do we have to?"

"He must," Malik said.

"It is fate, and if he must reach Ultima, he must have Anima," Robert hissed. "Ultima can raise Zodiark to end our fight."

"Yes, but…" Kadar started.

"He cannot get past the barrier of dark magic without Anima," Ezio murmured. "And those raised magicks are the last barriers between the underworld and the heavens."

"How do we get there?" Desmond murmured.

"You must be kidding," Lucy said. "We are not going into the underworld!"

"You don't have to," Ezio growled. "Desmond will have to."

"I'm coming," Clay said. "Can't let scrawny-ass go into a fight by himself in case he goes ballistic again."

"What's happening to Anima?" Desmond asked, looking at Robert.

The gods looked anywhere but at him, and he frowned, rising. He pulled his staff out and stuck it in the ground to help keep him up.

"What's going on with him? Tell me, you stubborn assholes! If I'm going to go down there, I _demand_ to know what's going on!"

"The god," Robert began when no one else volunteered, "is sealed away in the underworld, in the blackest pits of hell where the archdemon Rikkin resides. However, with Rikkin out and about, it is probably just being confined in the darkness that is driving Anima mad."

"Weren't they bound…" Kadar started.

"Yes," Malik murmured. "I wonder what they look like—"

"We'll find out soon enough," Ezio murmured.

"That is, of course," Robert said gently, "assuming our summoner will go."

"Of course I'll go, Titan," Desmond replied, "you're the only one who's given me information! Will you answer more questions?"

Robert bowed elegantly. "To the best of my abilities."

Desmond liked this god the most so far. "So, who is 'they' and why are they bound?"

Robert smirked, using grand gestures to explain. "Anima is actually two parts of the same being. The top half is of a man, most beautiful, rivaling that of your precious ice god, and around him is wrapped in a royal blue cloak that covers his feet as he hovers forward. His feet, once beautiful and strong, have been severed and from the waist down he is attached to his sister, for they had incestuous relations. Her fury is mighty, far stronger than all who have dared to fight them, and only a true master summoner can calm them, such as yourself, I am sure."

Desmond puffed up with pride a little. "Why were they confined to the crystals?"

Robert laughed. "We are dangerous, do you not agree?"

Desmond nodded.

Robert smirked again. "A smart boy. It is for this very reason the other gods locked us inside these crystals, and it is because of that they now swim in the underworld."

"Why did you fight them?"

Robert looked mildly smug, and possibly a little surprised. "Have you never wanted to right the wrongs in the world? You must start at the root."

Desmond nodded. That made sense. He nodded, once, and adjusted his grip on the staff. "Let's go, then."

The other gods looked shocked, and Robert bowed gracefully again.

"H-he has never been so eager to go without delay!" Kadar exclaimed, and Robert threw a victorious smirk at him.

"And it is clear you have never been so naïve with humans. Are your friends ready?"

"I object to all of this bollocks," Shaun hissed, standing up. "You're not even healed all the way, you numbskull!"

"And we really don't need to watch Shaun wet his pants if you get hurt… again," Clay said with a dramatic sigh. "We'll run out of pants that way."

Shaun sputtered indignantly as Rebecca laughed and Lucy tried her best not to. Desmond shook his head, grinning. He slowly eased his way back onto the log, his arms sore from straining his muscles as he held himself up on the staff. With a hand in the air, he called for Asura, who appeared with his tranquil face toward him. In a flurry of six hands, he called forth a curative spell, and Desmond watched the wounds heal. He gave Rauf a spare moment to talk to the others before he nodded at Robert, and he watched the world fade into black. It was so thick of a black that he couldn't see anything.

"Desmond?"

"Lucy?"

"Clay?"

"Tonberry!"

And suddenly, there was a little light in the blackness, and he could see the outlines of his friends. He grabbed one of their hands, pulling the person close to see Shaun. He grinned.

"Hey."

Shaun sputtered, and Desmond reached out and grabbed another hand, pulling Lucy close, who had Clay by the other hand. The sage reached out and grabbed Rebecca, and she yelped as she was dragged over.

"Oh! Hi!"

He grinned at her. "Form a line."

He held the Tonberry close, feeling Shaun grab onto his waist, and the others fell in line as they started off, the monster's knife pointing them in the right direction and the lantern shining little light on their pathway. It was reflecting more off the black, but the light gave him a little hope. There were no monsters here, and the black was almost suffocating and claustrophobic, but he couldn't help it. He swallowed as he was lead in further and further into the darkness, only the Tonberry lighting the way, occasionally shifting the knife to point into another direction.

"Are you sure that thing knows where it's going?" he heard Shaun snip, and he looked at the Tonberry, who met his gaze.

He stared into its eyes for a few moments before looking back to the knife.

"Nope, but it's better than walking around completely blinded."

He continued to wander until he felt the air chill get stronger, and shortly after that, he paused right before he hit a wall where no light would pass. He could see the Tonberry's light pass through just about everything else, but whatever the wall was sucked the light into it. He blinked.

"Well… We hit a wall."

He moved slightly to the right, even more confused when the light continued to bend and refract in the normal way just a few paces away. He moved slightly to the left before it dawned on him.

"No! It's the crystal!" he shouted, slapping his hand on the light-absorbing crystal before they could object.

They were engulfed, and he blinked as he saw low purple lights appear like torches. He swallowed.

"Thanks, you idiot!" Shaun hissed. "Now we're going to die!"

Desmond scowled, yanking free as he paced forward. He could feel a plushy carpet beneath his feet as his eyes adjusted. He could see the outline of carvings on the walls, depicting gruesome events as he walked forward. They were bloody and violent, and he wondered if he was going to have to fight the monster.

"What is this place?" Shaun whispered.

"This is the hall of the crystal," Desmond murmured, noticing a chained up box at the far end.

He frowned, pacing toward it and leaving the others to explore. As he set the Tonberry down and dismissed it, he blinked when he saw Shiva's hand over his own.

"Beneath here lays Anima," Shiva whispered into his ear, and Desmond couldn't tell if the shiver was because of the chill of his breath or the nervousness. "Unleash him only if you certain you can win."

The god lingered just a moment more before disappearing, and he paused before lowering his arm. He pursed his lips and examined the slips of paper tucked into the chains. He had seen such things before, exorcism slips, he remembered, and he swallowed. He could do this.

"Do not listen to that slip-minded god," he heard Robert hiss from behind him. "His power is mightier than any you will find. His power rivals Ultima, the god of holy. You will tame him—it is said."

He swallowed thickly and nodded, still frozen slightly.

"Desmond? Is that you at the far end?" he heard Shaun call.

"Yeah," he called. "Robert…"

"I will get you started," the god said.

He watched as the god wrapped his hands in the chains connecting to the wall, and with a mighty tug, he pulled them out as if they were weeds. After that happened, Desmond was compelled. He couldn't stop himself as he pulled out the slips of paper and unwound the chains. His blood was pounding as they fell away, and he saw the simple wooden crate the god was contained in, and without a second thought, he threw it open.

At first, he saw nothing.


	10. Chapter 10

Then, he screamed as hand came up from nowhere and grabbed him, dragging him through the floor. He could hear his companions shouting behind him, and he struggled furiously as he heard a haunting screech. He froze when the face of a blonde woman appeared in front of him: her hair in four pigtails ornamented with gold; her eyes outlined with black. A collar of chains and a necklace dangled from her neck, and Desmond's cries of help were frozen in his throat as he stared, wide-eyed.

"Let me kill him, Cesare," she hissed, and he whimpered as she moved, the woman twisting to look up.

He swallowed thickly as the other half of the figure wrapped in the dark blue cloak began to stir. Then it hit him.

"You're the brother and sister?" he yelped before he could stop himself.

His eyes were wide, and he examined the woman before him. He could see, how, in another life, she would have been beautiful (perhaps even like Lucy), but now, confined to the darkness, she had been eaten by it, twisted and transformed until her fingers grew together and her nails became like claws. Her teeth were hideous and sharp, and her mouth was the kind of gaping maw that he likened to a crevice caused by Titan. No wonder they had been in pain, if that was what the darkness had been doing to them. It was twisting them into monsters beyond their control.

He gasped when the upper half chuckled, a deep, low sound that filled the air. He swallowed as the upper half opened. The nose and eyes were wrapped in bandages, the only signification that the god had eyes was a hole in the bandage where a dim yellow light shone. Black hair could be seen from under the bandages, the start of a neatly trimmed beard covering the chin.

"Let him go, Lucrezia. We are free."

"There is no freedom in our lives now," the woman hissed.

"True as that may be, our ambitions can be achieved with this one."

"This _boy_?"

Nevertheless, he screamed as he was dropped, only to land on his rump on the carpeting in the hallway. He swallowed, feeling the gods appear behind him as his friends sprang to his side, ready to fight. He gazed at the monster and saw that he had, at one point, been beautiful, perhaps even more so than Kadar. Now his arms were chained to his torso, crossing over it as his fingers dug into scaly shoulder armor. Around his neck was a pair of arms, the image of a lovely woman chained around his neck and held by the arms.

"What happened to you?" Ezio asked, stepping forward slightly, and Desmond watched as his head snapped toward the man, the golden glow the only showing he saw him.

"The darkness can do that," Kadar murmured, his eyes averted, "and they have been chained in here for so long they're lucky it's not worse."

"I see you have been freed as well," the god murmured, and Desmond noticed that he was bigger than the others, for he stood just as tall, but only from his waist up could be seen. "So then, it is time."

"Yes," Robert hissed. "We will win at long last."

"We will _rule_," Cesare hissed, and Desmond flinched at the bright spark from the golden glow. "Lucrezia and I will be restored to our former glory."

"Only if by Zodiark's will," Malik hissed. "Only then."

"But the boy has the scale, does he not?" the scary god said, and Desmond was entranced by the way the dark blue cloak stayed open.

He jerked, looking at the god to meet the golden glow, and he reached into his shirt, around his neck, and pulled out the necklace he had forgotten about for so long. The first treasure he had ever found on his own.

"Th-this?"

The eye flashed brightly again, and Desmond pulled back.

"Then we are set. Get us out of this prison," the god of darkness commanded. "And let us go and free Ultima, so that we will be put in the places we should be."

"As you wish," Robert hissed, and Desmond watched as the world around them faded, leaving them above the ground in the middle of the night.

He let his eyes adjust to the brightness, and he looked around. They were where they had been before, and none of the gods where there. They looked around, confused, before Desmond frowned. Anima couldn't get away with just _letting_ him take him as a summon. No, Desmond thought, that god had answers to give him.

He didn't hear as the others started speculating about what was going on, and he closed his eyes as he thought about summoning the great god. With a snarl, he slammed the end of his staff in to the ground and hollered for Anima. The others jumped as an anchor came out of _nowhere_ and pulled the god, still wrapped in chains, up from the earth. He didn't flinch at the mighty wail, and when that glowing golden eye met his, he frowned.

"Who is Ultima? Why do you keep calling a 'she' a 'he'? Who are you? What's so special about my treasure? Who's Zodiark? Why does it matter? What—"

He growled at the god's laugh. "I can see why it is you are the summoner. You are still so naïve, so unlearned."

"Answer my questions," he growled, hoping he could get some from the god.

"The blinds of your society have been cast," the god hissed, scowling. "I am Cesare Borgia, the once-mighty god of war, cast from the heavens."

Desmond looked once he felt Shaun come creeping up behind him, thoroughly amazed and frightened.

"We were rallied by the scion of light, High Seraph of the heavens, to fight against the evils in our heaven. But before he could awaken the keeper of the precepts, the others bound Zodiark and cast him into the ground. Ultima is a man, however beautiful, unable to be tainted by the dark as we have been."

"We?" Desmond asked.

"None of us looked as we do now. Disease spread throughout our bodies, elements fusing themselves into our beings upon command of the victors. They are _not_ the ones who should be ruling, and Ultima and _I_ managed to cast them from the heavens in a final act of power before we were bound. He now rests in the heavens, protecting them and waiting."

"Why did the clan primer portray Ultima as a woman?"

Cesare blinked, staring at the two of them before smirking. "How… entertaining."

"The picture draw was very clearly of a woman," Shaun whispered, and Cesare chuckled.

"We are the most powerful of the gods," Cesare said. "Ultima and I—"

"What is Ultima's other name?" Desmond asked, unable to help himself. "I know Kadar, Malik, Ezio, Robert, and you, Cesare, with your sister, Lucrezia…"

"It is Altair, and with respect and the attitude of servitude should you approach him, for there is nothing standing between his wrath and you, as the seals and the chains so readily protected you."

Desmond's eyes grew wide, and he stared at the scowling, bandaged face of the god. He swallowed, his eyes unable to help it as he watched the god's fingers flex.

"H-how do we get there?" Desmond whispered.

"To the south of here there is a long stretch of land surrounded by water on all sides except one. Enter through that way, and we will break the barriers for you to get to the mountain. At the top, you will find Ultima's crystal. If you pass his tests, you will have him, and Zodiark will be _free_."

"And then?" Desmond pressed.

"We destroy Rikkin."

Desmond frowned, pursing his lips, then nodded. "Right. Let's go."

He dismissed the man, looking to the other three. Clay had Lucy in his lap, and Desmond felt a pang of jealously go through him. He wanted to strangle the man: Lucy was _his_.

"Did you hear? We move south."

"Are you sure?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes. Come on. Is that other chocobo around here?"

They were packed before he knew otherwise, and he frowned as they set out back toward the city. They needed one more chocobo. He could feel the nerves tightening his stomach and causing it to flip-flop. He wanted to meet Altair.

"Desmond?"

He jumped, feeling a hand slide into his, and he blinked, looking at Shaun standing there. "Yeah?"

"You're looking contemplative. I figured I should interrupt you before your brain overheats."

Desmond rolled his eyes, trying not to let them slide back to where Lucy and Clay were chattering merrily with Rebecca, who seemed slightly more interested in keeping an eye out for any sort of valuable object they might have seen. He couldn't help it, though, because Clay was getting too comfortable with Lucy, and he had known Lucy forever. He had always promised himself he'd get married and have a kid with her. She smiled at something the dark knight said, and he could feel himself start to get upset. He didn't want to lose Lucy. He liked her. Her and Clay had only known each other a little while, and already she was acting as if he was her best friend. Desmond realized that he was thoroughly committed to the gods' cause, but he was just so excited that there was someone who valued him.

When they settled down for the night, Desmond summoned Kadar to watch over their camp. He sat by the fire as the others retreated (girls in one tent, boys in the other). He told Shaun and Clay that he'd be in later, and he almost wanted to beat in Clay's face when he saw the boy give Lucy a kiss on the cheek before wishing her good night.

"What's wrong, Desmond?"

He looked at his first god, then looked back down. "Lucy likes Clay more than me."

The god plopped beside him, angled away from the fire as he sprawled out. "Now why on earth would you say that?"

"Because I've been ignoring her in favor of you guys."

Kadar huffed, wrapping his cloak around the summoner's shoulders leaning against him. "Desmond, if she doesn't understand the importance of the mission, then she's not worth your time."

He scowled, jerking away from him, and Kadar looked surprised.

"It's true, Desmond."

"You're a jackass, you know that?" Desmond hissed, scowling. "I've known Lucy all my life, and here she is being won over by a somebody, and all I can do is watch because I've always been the freak. I mean, nobody else seems to know about Rikkin! All they thought about the fog was that it was spooky! How do I know that Rikkin is real? Hm? How do I know that one of _you_ isn't Rikkin, and that you're using me to gain whatever it is that you want?"

Kadar looked thoroughly shocked, and when he heard a tent behind him open, he looked to see Shaun crawling out.

"Desmond?"

He harrumphed, drawing in on himself. He wondered if he should just give up the mission and go back. Or maybe he could just kill Clay. But he wasn't fooling anyone: aside from his friends—his summons—he couldn't fight at all. He felt Shaun sit beside him, and he hugged his legs tighter as Shiva moved.

"What's wrong?"

He scowled but said nothing. After a few moments, Shaun leaned back.

"Are you nervous about meeting Ultima?"

"Why?"

"Because whatever it is that's going to happen will happen once you meet Ultima. It's going to be fascinating!"

He turned to look at the boy, staring at him. Shaun seemed excited, as if he truly believed that it was all true and that this was actually the mission of the millennium. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Desmond," the sage said like a child at a birthday party, "we're going to get to see something that no other human has ever gotten to see! Just think—_we'll _be the history that everyone reads about! We're going to get to see the most ancient of gods fight one another!"

He straightened out his legs, leaning back on his hands to watch the boy. Shaun looked so eager.

"We'll get to be a part of what everyone else has ever ignored! Can you imagine? We'll be fighting to protect the heavens! We'll get to meet the god that caused the war in the heavens!"

Desmond found himself smiling at Shaun's enthusiasm. The boy was looking at him, smiling as well, a distant look in his eyes—the same one he got when lecturing him on various things he asked about.

"It's going to be _incredible_, Desmond! Do you even realize the magnitude of the event we're going into?"

He grinned, rolling over to lie on his stomach beside Shaun as the boy fell into the grass. He was kicking his legs in the air, his chin in his hand as the sage continued to prattle.

"And it doesn't matter _what_ happens, because it's a once in a millennia experience we're going to have! We'll be written in the history books—we'll be an important part of history! And to think that I was invited to come along."

The dreamy smile surprised Desmond, but he army-crawled closer so that he was perpendicular to the boy, their heads the meeting point. "You don't care if it's something bad?"

Shaun grinned. "That would be _awful_, but still, you can say that you were a part of something so incredible."

He snorted. "You're a dork."

"I'll take what I can get," Shaun whispered, closing his eyes. "And to think I was friends with the summoner who did it all."

They were moving farther and farther from the fire, he noticed, but he didn't actually mind. He watched the boy's chest rise and fall, and he realized he had been wrong about the bookworm. He had just assumed the boy was relatively weaker than the others, stronger than him, but still weaker, and here he was, probably one of the most efficient sages he'd ever meet.

"Desmond."

He looked to find brown eyes staring at him. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How old are you?"

"Me? I'm sixteen. Lucy's fifteen. How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"And you're not married?"

"Why would I be?"

"That's normal age in our village! By sixteen, you're apprenticed, by seventeen, married."

"You aren't even capable of loving someone at that age," Shaun said, his eyebrows scrunching.

"Of course you can."

"Not stable enough for a marriage."

"It's possible!"

Shaun watched him closely, and Desmond quirked an eyebrow. "So, you firmly believe that you are old enough to find a partner?"

Desmond nodded once. "Yup."

Shaun pursed his lips. "Then…"

"Yeah?"

"What do you believe about falling in love with someone of the same gender?"

"That's fine on the side, but not to have kids."

"Kids?"

"Yeah," he murmured with a chuckle. "Don't you think it'd be fun to have kids? I've always wanted them, and I promised myself to treat them better than my father did me."

He saw Shaun frown, and he tilted his head.

"You don't like kids?"

"I… don't like women."

He opened his mouth to ask what he meant, before it all clicked, and he snapped his jaw tight, pursing his lips. Still, he didn't feel the need to pull away from Shaun. He wasn't going to trade in the comfort he felt around his new friend just because he liked other boys.

"What about having a family?"

"I… never thought that far."

"Why not?"

"I never thought I'd actually find a partner in the castle life."

Desmond nodded his head, mulling over what Shaun said. Perhaps, he thought, he could push marrying Lucy back just a little. He was rather curious about what it was like with another guy. It was a new discovery, another that he had made on this journey. A split-second discovery that he decided he had because he wanted to experience everything. Of course, he was curious about everything. He had hated being so sheltered. He had been satisfying his curiosities one by one as they popped up, so it wouldn't hurt to satisfy another. He blinked, coming to a decision before looking at Shaun. He would give it a try. Besides, Lucy was more preoccupied with _Clay,_ and he wanted _someone_ to be his friend.

"What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Being with another guy."

"I wouldn't entirely know."

"Why not?"

"I've never had a partner."

"What if I was your partner?"

"Then we'd find out, wouldn't we?"

"So then, I'll be your partner, and we'll find out."

"Yes, of cours—wh-what?"

Desmond grinned at Shaun's look of utter surprise. "What? I may as well explore everything here before I return to the village, and I can't think of a better teacher, since you know so much about everything."

Shaun's face was priceless. He was gaping like a fish, and Desmond couldn't help but laugh. Besides, maybe he could use whatever he learned from Shaun to woo Lucy back to him.

"So, how does it work? I've seen couples, but never been a part of one."

He watched patiently as the sage slowly pulled himself back from the state of shock he was in, and Desmond kicked his feet in the air. Then, with a shake of his head, Shaun placed a hand on the back of the summoner's neck and pulled him in, pressing their lips together.

He hummed as his eyes slid closed. He liked the feel of his warm, chapped lips pressed against his. He pulled back to see Shaun looking at him with the faintest hint of a smirk. Perhaps trying a relationship with a man wouldn't be too bad, and if what the sage said was to be true, then he was too young to fall in love, but still old enough to experiment. And better now than when he needed to settle down with a wife. Desmond tilted his head, smiling mischievously.

"That wasn't too bad," he challenged.

Shaun's eyes darkened, and a grin split on his face, and before Desmond knew it, he was on his back with the sage's tongue down his throat. It felt _wonderful_, and he now understood why he had seen couples kiss. If it meant grabbing the short little hairs at the base of Shaun's neck and trying valiantly to pull him closer as that tongue practically fucked his mouth, then he was okay. If it meant listening to those little noises Shaun was making in the back of his throat as he tried to breathe the other boy's air, then he was okay. If it meant the wonderful _heat_ that seemed to be flowing through him, oh, he was ready to give it all up. He groaned, fisting his hands in the back of that stupid outfit as he tilted his head to the side for air, pinned down by the other boy. Shaun was panting, and Desmond groaned when he felt those lips trailing down his jaw line.

"Not on my watch, boys," he heard Kadar growl, and next thing he knew, Shaun was yelping as he was pushed over. "Sorry, Desmond. Don't want to have you two wake the entire camp."

He swallowed, staring up at the god, who had the most innocent look on his face. He inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly as he tried to calm himself. Then, he grinned.

"That's okay, Kadar—"

"Bloody frigid _bitch_," he heard Shaun mumble, and he couldn't help but laugh at the proud grin and the melting glare.

"You have no idea," Kadar said merrily. "Absolutely none! All right now, off to sleep with you two. Should I call Ezio?"

Shaun huffed, sitting up, and Desmond grinned, leaning on his elbows. "Naw, we'll be fine."

He laughed as he avoided Shaun's reaching hand, darting to the tent and settling beside Clay. He would let Shaun have the edge as he nestled down into the sleeping bag waiting for him, marveling briefly at that pouch of wonders Rebecca had. He grinned innocently at Shaun when he came in, and the sage scowled, settling down in the third spot facing away from him. Desmond huffed, closing his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

However, when he woke, he had Clay nestled against him one side, and Shaun on the other, both of them, curled around him. He blinked, yawning, stretching, and ultimately causing the others to stir. He heard Clay grunt as he woke up, while Shaun curled up tighter, and he smiled at the boy. The dark knight blinked, then looked at their position.

"So it _wasn't_ Ifrit that wanted to cuddle. Just a Desmond."

"Yup, just me," he said with a laugh, not showing that he was more than a little pleased when Shaun muttered for Clay to fuck off because he didn't appreciate space heaters.

Clay snorted. "Princess Peachy is already making her rounds, I see."

He watched the dark knight leave, and then Shaun grunted, stretching out along him and pulling him close, burying his nose in Desmond's hair and muttering, "Blinking idiot wouldn't know a blessing if it hit him on that damnably thick skull of his."

His breath hitched when a cold hand slips under his shirt, and he inhaled sharply, sucking his stomach in as those fingers curled against his belly button. He shivered almost violently, and Shaun hummed as he scooted in closer and kissed his neck, causing an entirely different shiver to race down him. He's content to lay there, trapped in Shaun's arms (because it does feel nice, and he understands why women enjoy it so much), until Rebecca peeked in with a wink and a cheerful greeting.

"Rise and shine! We get to the capital today and leave tomorrow!"

Shaun hissed a string of curses. He laughed and pulled himself away, narrowly avoiding the sage's grabby hands. He darted out of the tent and stopped in front of the others, looking around for food.

"Sorry, Desmond," Lucy said, smiling apologetically, "you were too late."

He smiled back, feeling a partial bitterness because Clay was finishing the last of the breakfast and rising as he slung his sword over his back.

"It's fine," he murmured, closing his eyes.

A few seconds later, as Shaun's coming out, Desmond slammed his staff into the ground and the Mandragora royal family was out and screeching, rushing off to find him and the sage some food. Without another word, they started walking, and he fell into himself as he heard Lucy and Clay chattering merrily. He _hated_ Clay, because that damned Dark Knight was stealing his first friend from him, and his _first crush_ from him. She was the woman he wanted to get married to, and that stupid new boy came in and—he sighed, feeling more than slightly defeated. However, when Shaun slipped a hand into his, he did feel slightly more important because at least _someone_ thought he was worth it and that this journey wasn't all just shit.

"Are you okay?" the sage asked, and he never answered because the little vegetable family came back, and they all offered up their sacrifices.

The tomato handed him something that at one point may have been a small animal, but now it was nothing more but a shredded hunk of meat. He couldn't help but laugh, and Shaun's disgusted look made it even funnier. Once he had the offered food, he dismissed the family, thanking them profusely and dropping the animal-thing. He offered some of the plants to the sage, who accepted them readily, and before he knew it, he was listening as Shaun told him about how to make a potion using some of them.

It didn't last too much longer before they hit the city again, still bustling with life, and he and Shaun had their hands clasped tightly together while he was given a tour of the city. As he entered the crowds, he shivered, casting a careful look around. He got the uneasy feeling that someone was watching him, and his skin was crawling. After taking a look around, however, he felt the feeling go away and let himself relax as Shaun gave him a tour. He stayed away from the Golden Saucer, but he saw the castle, and he saw the beautiful architecture up close. It was incredible, and he was amazed as the sage told him all about the people who built it and how old it was. He showed him how much he enjoyed it by shoving him against the wall in an alley and kissing him. He refused to let Shaun take control.

They hadn't gone much farther than a little bit of tongue and hands wandering a little lower than they should have when he felt the hair stand on the back of his neck again, the feeling stronger. He paused when the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and he frowned as he pulled back. Shaun growled, and when he went to pull him back, Desmond placed a hand over his mouth. He looked toward the entrance, frowning and jerking when he saw someone standing there.

The man had a black cape wrapped around him, covering his body and up to his chin. Icy blue eyes made his skin crawl. He could feel cold seeping through his veins. He was frozen in his place, unable to look away from the man. The man was just standing there, and he could feel the icy feeling spreading throughout him. He was terrified. He wondered why no one else was affected. He tried to swallow as the cold trailed like fingers up his neck, and he could feel it wrapping around his heart. Those blue eyes met his, and his breath was stolen, and his vision began to swim. He saw the lips pull into a thin line, and suddenly, the man was gone. He swallowed, gasping for air he didn't realize he hadn't pulled in. His legs gave way beneath him, and he gave a choked whimper when Shaun caught him.

He shivered, violently, and the sage had him in the hotel room with blankets around him before he could register it, those icy eyes haunting his vision. He could see them, floating, even though they weren't there, and he choked out a whimper again, shivering and shaking. He jerked when Shaun pulled him close, and then, all of a sudden, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see all of the gods there, talking in hushed tones. He felt Kadar's arms replace Shaun's, and he swallowed, feeling his body warm and his vision clear up. He leaned into the embrace, closing his eyes as Shiva shushed him.

"Desmond, calm down, kiddo," Kadar murmured, kissing his head, and Desmond curled in on himself.

"Just what happened to him?" Shaun asked.

"He saw Rikkin," Ezio murmured, crossing his arms. "We'll have to be careful."

"I can guarantee you he'll find a way to get near the boy," Robert hissed.

"It's not possible," Malik growled. "Not with—"

"You forget that we are weak," Cesare said. "Without Altair, we cannot come to power. Only he still has the power to defeat the fiend."

"What about you?" Kadar asked.

"I was weakened by the dark," Cesare hissed, turning that one eye upon them.

Desmond eventually pulled from Shiva's arms and hunched over.

"One of us will have to stay out with him from now on," Robert hissed. "There's no telling how Rikkin may appear to trick him."

"And if he fools us?" Kadar murmured. "He is stronger."

They all fell silent, and Desmond swallowed.

"We have no choice," Cesare hissed. "We leave at first light."

"Or earlier. Now," Robert replied.

"We cannot push the humans too much without sleep. They need it at much as they need food," Malik growled.

"We'll have to stay out tonight then," Ezio murmured. "And hope that he does not attack."

He said nothing as the gods looked at him, and he just leaned against Shaun, closing his eyes. The boy wrapped his arms around him and ran a hand through his hair, and he didn't speak for the night, just enjoying having Shaun's arms around him and thinking about how the sage cared more about him than Lucy or the others. The gods were out in the city, nearby, watching, and he fell asleep against Shaun that night before the others came back from the city. It was a restless sleep, filled with those eyes haunting him.

He woke underneath Shaun, surrounded by blankets and feeling more tired than before. Lucy was up and about, and he watched her moving around for a little bit before she noticed him and walked over. He blinked, wondering where Clay was, and he almost wanted to slap her.

"Feeling better?"

He didn't respond, and he saw her frown, crouching to trail a hand over his face. She seemed to study him, and her thumb lingered under his eyes.

"You poor thing."

He frowned.

"You should see yourself when you bathe. The rest of us have already taken one."

He grimaced when he saw those blue eyes again, and Lucy sighed.

"You look terrible. The rest of us are going to get food. We'll bring you back something."

He watched as she left, and then he realized that Clay and Rebecca were already gone. He frowned. He wondered if it was because he was ugly now, apparently, that Lucy no longer wanted him. Desmond grunted when Shaun stirred, climbing off him and immediately wrapping him in blankets. He hummed as the sage pulled him close.

"Feeling better?"

"Am I ugly?"

There was silence for a little bit.

"What?"

"Am I ugly? Is that why Lucy prefers Clay to me?"

Shaun was silent for a little bit, then started chuckling. "That's what you're concerned with? No, not the fact that you have the world's most powerful _fiend_ after you, but that you might be ugly."

He looked at him through his cocoon of blankets. "I've always had a crush on Lucy. I want to know why Clay is better."

Shaun sighed, irritated. "Clay is better because Clay is different, Desmond. It has _nothing_ to do with beauty or charm. He's a stranger, and strangers are always more enticing."

"So… It's just because I'm boring?"

"If you choose to look at it that way."

"Do you think I'm boring?"

"Not at all."

"Do you think Rebecca's boring?"

"Hideously so. More annoying, perhaps, but still just Rebecca."

Desmond fell silent, staring at the sage. Shaun looked even more tired than he felt, and he probably was. Desmond had been having nightmares all night, and if the boy had been sleeping with him, he was probably exhausted. Still, when those fingers dug through the blankets to pull out his chin and give him a kiss, he thought that maybe it was okay Lucy didn't like him as much as she liked Clay.

The kiss was slow and gentle, and he wished it would never end—until the others came barging in, and they jumped apart from surprise. It wasn't too much longer before he was sitting on his golden chocobo with Shaun behind him, and they were off to the coastland. He hadn't bathed, and Lucy wasn't fond of it, but Shaun had refused to force him to get out of the blankets earlier than necessary.

The chocobos trotted along for the better part of two hours before Desmond saw a hunched over figure hobbling along the road. It was wearing a brown cloak and hood, and he couldn't help but stop when they reached it.

"Hi. Who are you?"

The figure jumped, looking at them. It was an old man, with lots of wrinkles and a kind face. Green eyes were highlighted by the white eyebrows and the wispy white hairs sticking out of the hood.

"Gracious me," said the old man. "I near thought you were one of those nasty fiends come to attack me again."

Desmond laughed. "Nope—"

"Come on, Desmond," Lucy said, and he glared at her before turning back to the man.

"Where are you off to?" he offered.

"The coastland, to see my daughter."

His voice was raspy and old sounding. Desmond couldn't help but grin. He liked this old man. He whistled for Rebecca's chocobo, which strutted over and knelt.

"So are we! We can give you a quicker ride!"

"Desmond!" Rebecca yelped.

The old man chuckled. "I'm afraid I've not much to offer in return."

"No problem!" he chirped. "We're going there anyway!"

He hopped off his chocobo and helped the old man on, then climbed back on and continued.

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from far away from here," the old man began. "My daughter moved away when she married."

"She's married?"

"Yes, with two children of her own now."

He smiled. "What's your name? I'm Desmond."

The old man shook his head, giving him a smile. "You can call me Ian Karlink."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Karlink," Desmond said.

By the time they stopped for the night, he knew the man's birthplace, the man's favorite food and color, and why he was travelling alone. He also knew Ian was a master magician, and that he was off to see daughter once more, feeling his time coming to an end. He chattered endlessly with him. He talked with him well into the night and fell asleep as Shaun sang him a lullaby.

He didn't have as many nightmares that night.

But he did see green eyes instead of blue.

He woke the next morning, raring to go, and it took four days' travel on chocobo-back before they reached the coast. By then, he thought of the old man as his grandfather, as did the rest, and Ian would tell them all sorts of stories about his younger days. He showed them how to make their own potions and taught Shaun new spells.

He told them about Rikkin and how he had been causing trouble, how he appeared to a select few. He worked in underhanded ways, the monsters that roamed the land stronger than they used to be and the spirits of the earth getting restless. He told them about how more people were sick now than before, and how the diseases never seemed to end. There were fewer years of abundant crops now, and the waters were slowly drying up. He told them about the gods and their life before the fight. He told them about Al Mualim, who had been the crafter of the gods. Kadar and Malik had been in charge of guarding the gates. Ezio had been in charge of watching the humans—which often got him in trouble for lying with human women. Robert had been the one in charge of keeping the earth well, the animals fed, the waters fresh, and the fields fertile. Lucrezia had been the goddess of the sky, of night and day, of the clouds, and of winds.

But Cesare and Altair—they were a pair that the gods feared most. Cesare had been seen as the god of darkness, of war, of evil. Only when he was chained in the darkness could it begin to destroy him. He worked in conjunction with Altair, the god of holiness, of peace, of good. These two were in charge of the human race, in charge of the other gods and the demi-gods that worked under them. For instance, he had said, Adrammelech worked under Lucrezia, commanding thunder and lighting. The gods that ruled above them were afraid of Altair and Cesare, for they were the pinnacle of their work, the best that they could have created.

And it was Zodiark who had given them their powers, as the other duked it out for the right to rule. Once Altair and Cesare rallied the others to rebel, the rulers of the heavens had to bind Zodiark and seal him away. If they had reached the ultimate god, they would have destroyed not only the heavens, but also the earth. For the gods insolence, the most prominent figures were bound to the crystals, but not before the rulers had been thrown out and the heavens blocked off by the rest of Altair's magic. It would be fierce, indeed, if Desmond was planning on releasing the gods.

But when they reached the coast, Desmond swore he was going to build a house here and live here forever. He would move Ian and Shaun in, and the two of them could adopt a child, and the old mage could be its great-grandfather. The water twinkled and played in the twilight, and Desmond couldn't help but laugh and splash around, sitting by the fire that night as he and his "washed" clothes dried off. Rebecca had joined him because it was remarkably warm, and their grandfather sat on the shore and watched them, a smile on his lips. Desmond slept under the stars that night, and Ezio was in charge of watching them. He cuddled with Shaun, his head on his chest as Shaun told him stories about the stars.

He had to admit that he was falling in love with the boy. The sage treated him so much nicer, and he was upset to admit that Lucy was almost ignoring him now. He had caught a glimpse of his reflection in the water, and he almost didn't recognize himself. He had bags under his eyes from the reoccurring nightmares of those blue (sometimes green) eyes, and his skin was sickly, however tan, stretched over his bones like a too-small shirt. His eyes had been dulled, and he was remarkably skinny. He felt lucky that Shaun even still liked him. And when he felt Shaun's hand in his as he rested on him, the other hand stroking his hair, he was convinced that this was the best of all possible worlds. He had never felt so alive or so lucky. Ian seemed to prefer to spend time with the magic users, and Desmond was okay with that, because as they travelled along the coast, he got to witness unbelievable magic like meteors and tornadoes.

Rebecca also began hanging out with them more, much to Shaun's chagrin the boy admitted, because they could never be alone without feeling as if they were watched. Still, Desmond enjoyed the quick kisses and the holding hands. It was pleasant, considering how tired both he and Shaun were. He had heard that boys his age were supposed to begin desiring sex, but as he cuddled with the sage at night, bunkering down for another night of nightmares and restless sleep, he noticed he had no appetite for it.

They travelled east, at the advice of both Cesare and the old man, and eventually, they came across the peninsula that Anima described. The old man agreed to go with them, and it was another four days' journey before he began to smell something vile and unpleasant. It was subtle at first, gradually getting stronger. When they hit a faintly shimmering red wall, the land around it was littered with bodies, old and shriveled, and Desmond felt his stomach tighten. The smell was beginning to get overpowering, and he lifted his sleeve to his face to cover his nose. His clothes smelled like earth and heat—like the fire they were made of. It softened the overwhelming stench of the bodies lying in piles around the wall. The wall shimmered red, like his cloak, and it seemed to stretch into the heavens.

"Beautiful décor," Clay said. "Really livens up the place."

Desmond stared at the bodies, swallowing at the massive numbers all around. He could see more, too, farther inside, and he shivered. Shaun kissed his ear, telling him everything would be fine, but Desmond wasn't so sure. He adjusted the sleeve on his cloak, wondering why the others were fine. He wondered if they could smell it.

"How are we supposed to get through?" Lucy asked.

"Try Ifrit. I'm sure he can break it down," the old man said. "After all, it appears to be of fire, no?"

He stared at bit longer at the bodies, all of them seemingly reaching for the next layer in. He was shaking as he pulled out his staff and called for Ifrit, who destroyed the wall easily, then took one glance at the bodies, muttered, "Idiots," and disappeared. They hit a wall of brown, which he summoned Robert for. Titan laughed at the bodies before he disappeared. Between that and the wall of deep blue, they had to fight off the living dead that seemed eager to kill them and get beyond the wall. After Shiva broke the wall, there were fewer bodies, but still an unsettling amount, between the wall and the next one. These, too, walked with false life, screaming and hissing for power. Between the green wall Ezio broke and the black one, there were all kinds of hideous ghouls and skeletons, wraiths and zombies. Desmond was terrified. He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.

Cesare and Lucrezia broke the final wall without so much as a blink to the destroyed fiends and bodies, and Desmond was met with the most foreboding-looking mountain he had ever seen. It stretched into the heavens: its tip covered with cloud, and he could see bodies scattered on the trail.

"Why are there so many dead?" he asked, swallowing as he grabbed Shaun's hand.

"There are many who wish to obtain the power of Ultima," the old man said. "And there can be just one who succeeds."

"Dead? You mean…"

"Those who are seeking power see the corpses of those who sought it also," Ian murmured, pulling his cloak tighter around him. "To the rest of us, they appear merely as fiends."

He swallowed, licking his lips to wet them. So the others _couldn't_ see them—with the exception of maybe Clay, who seemed to have noticed them. The old man hobbled ahead as they dismounted the chocobos. Desmond wondered if he could see the bodies. Probably not. The others were only here to protect him.

"Let us continue forward."

It was the most grueling trek of Desmond's life. By the time they were half-way up the mountain, they had been attacked by more undead, as well as lions and angel-like beasts. They fought creatures made of cloud that could only be killed by magic. They made it halfway before they had an alcove to sleep in. Even the gods were worn out, he mused as they gathered by the fire and complained about how paranoid Altair had gotten.

He had gotten a shimmering new cloak made of white crystals woven together, and he had given Lucy the pair of white claws. There had also been sash they gave to Shaun, and a stronger knife for Rebecca. His cloak absorbed both holy and dark magic to convert into health. Shaun's did the same except for fire, water, earth, and ice. He was out cold before he even had dinner.

And that night, he dreamed strange dreams.

He dreamed of walking through thick fog, wandering by himself, and he could see a woman in the distance, watching him, waiting. He tried to walk toward it, but the woman never got any closer. So he started running, thinking he could close the distance quicker, yet, the figure never moved at all. He frowned, and all of a sudden, Shaun and Ian appeared in front of him, each tied and looking panicked. He blinked, then rushed to the sage and untied him, watching as Ian screamed shrilly, being blown away in black dust. When he went to talk to his friend, he was gone, but the woman was closer.

He stared at her, watching her. He could see the faintest hint of color now. She was walking toward him. He backed up a step, and he could see the woman's lips curve upward. He blinked. The eyes were shadowed, but he could see the amused smirk. She was breathtaking.

That didn't last long before a large shadow appeared in between them, and he swallowed as the shadow grew larger and larger. He couldn't run, and he could hear himself screaming as it swallowed him whole. He thrashed as it wrapped itself around him, pinning his arms and retraining his legs. He couldn't help but yell louder, pleading the woman for help as he felt the shadow wrap around his neck and begin to choke him. He cried and whimpered and pleaded. He continued to thrash, feeling himself begin to get light-headed as the shadow choked him harder. He rasped, trying valiantly to breathe in, and he collapsed when the shadow suddenly disappeared. He gasped for breath, feeling in warm arms around him and lips against his ear. He sobbed once.

_Come, adventurer._

His eyes flew open, and he realized he had three angry companions and an extremely tired friend. Shaun whispered to him, not actually saying anything of importance as held Desmond close, and Lucy, Clay, and Rebecca grumbled as they settled back down. They could jump off the mountain, for all Desmond cared: they weren't the ones with nightmares. The sage was rubbing his back, and the summoner curled against his chest. He closed his eyes and shook as he felt Shaun drift back off to sleep.

He didn't sleep anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

He stayed up to see the sun rise, every bone in his body tired. He wanted one day of good sleep, and he would be okay. He could continue. This, however, was getting ridiculous. When Shaun asked how he slept, he almost flinched at the scowl when he said, "Not at all."

He dragged himself forward—his every step felt like lead was in his boots, and he just wanted to collapse. The number of fights decreased sharply, he noticed, as the number of bodies littering the mountain thinned out considerably. The lions, angels, and clouds got considerably stronger, however, the closer to the top he got, and eventually, he found himself walking into a fog.

"Desmond," he heard Ian shout. "The others will stay behind."

The old man hobbled beside him.

"Why?" the summoner asked.

"Because this fog will drive normal people to madness."

"How do you—"

"I'm a master magician. We'll be safe, Desmond. Don't worry."

He just hummed, walking forward again. Surprisingly, there were no monsters in the short distance to the peak. He stopped, the fog completely obscuring his vision, and all he wanted to do was sleep. The fog seemed to surround him, caressing him and comforting him. He hummed, feeling it lure him into sleep, and he collapsed, not feeling Ian's shaking as it wrapped him up.

When he woke, he was in a white hall, on plush carpeting. It was a narrow hall, he realized as looked around. He couldn't even spread his arms out the entire way. It was all white, pure white, and he felt so ethereally refreshed. He felt wonderful. He rose slowly, looking around. He must have been in the hall of Ultima, he mused, as he looked around. There was nothing behind him, and he could see a widening of the hall ahead. With a tilt of his head, he jogged off.

Sure enough, the hall widened into a circular room, and as he stepped into the room, the sounds of several monsters filled his ears, and he jumped, backing up to hit a solid wall. He tensed, ready to fight. With a flourish of staff, he crouched.

Until he actually looked and realized the monsters couldn't actually get to him. They were chained to crystals inside of the hollows around the room. There were six of them. The blue one, like Shiva's, had a shrieking and hissing sprite made of fire. It wailed and screeched, struggling against the chains and gnashing its teeth at him. Across from it was a white adamantoise, with a deep bellow and a frigid breath that Desmond was just out of reach for. From there, there was a green crystal that was chained to a Naga with a brown tail and ugly, matted hair. It was hissing and spitting curses at him. He swallowed and looked to see a giant, bulbous plant with vines whipping out to try to reach him and failing by just a hair. It had large, drooling teeth, and its feet were massively thick roots. It roared loudly. Shaun had called it an Ocho, he remembered. Then there were two more, and he looked at them as he paced to the other side of the room. They were both chained to black crystals, and one was a ghoul, hunched over and watching him over its shoulder, muttering to itself as it gnawed on its fingers, and the other was a manticore of sorts, as Shaun had talked about once. It sat there, watching him and cleaning itself slowly, leisurely, and when it looked away, Desmond jumped, hurrying through the room.

As soon as he stepped onto the other narrow hallway, Desmond noticed the noise stopped. He blinked, looking behind him to see the room, the monsters vanished, and he looked ahead of him, seeing a screen with the faintest outline of a person behind it. He frowned and started walking. When he reached the screen, he placed his hand on it, surprised to see it go through, and he grinned, stepping through.

Only to see the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She had three sets of shimmering orange wings that faded out in some places, dazzling him with yellow or white, and on her head was a large head piece with two horns protruding from the top. A tiny, white wing fluttered, covering her face, and his eyes trailed down to find the head tilted slightly forward. She was markedly flat, with a fitting white dress that had a gold braid keeping it around her neck. It carried all the way down and trailed along the bottom edge. She held her skirts lightly, keeping it from touching a large mass of stone and metal that had her feet bound.

He frowned, reaching out to gently touch the cheek, and he yelped, stumbling back when the head jerked up, and the thing binding her feet came to life, and then he realized that there was something wrong.

It wasn't the face of a woman.

It was the face of a man.

"Altair," he breathed, his eyes growing wide. "You're Altair."

_Show me proof of your calling._

He blinked, then blinked again, staring at little longer at the face and admiring the bright gold eyes before he ripped his gaze away and concentrated on summoning. He grunted, looking up when he felt a gust of wind blow him over and disrupt his concentration. He scowled at the god.

_Bring me justice._

He blinked, scratching his chin and thinking. He knew they had fought, but had lost when Zodiark had been sealed away. But Zodiark was the only path to victory he knew of, and he didn't think that he could show him that. He frowned. He needed someone to help him think. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he summoned Leonardo, who stretched lazily and smiled at him.

"Hello, my friend, need me—"

He pointed at the god, whose face was covered again and head tilted forward. "He told me to bring him justice, but I don't know what he means."

Leonardo's eyes grew wide when he noticed the god. "Desmond, is this—"

"Yeah. It's Ultima. Will you—"

"Why is he sleeping? You need his help!"

"Leonardo, if you'd listen—"

"Desmond, wake him up right now—"

"I'm _trying_!" he shouted, startling the sylph. "He said to bring him justice! I don't know what he means by justice!"

Leonardo was quiet, and Desmond almost feared he had been too harsh with his yowling. Then, the sprite smiled.

"Put your necklace on him, Desmond."

The summon vanished, and he blinked, frowning. He didn't want to break apart from his necklace—his first treasure. But then again, he had heard the gods call it a scale of Zodiark. Still, that "scale" had been the first thing he found when he went running off the first time and camped out at the base of the mountain with Valefor. He had found it lying near his fire pit, and he had looped the thin piece of leather around just so to keep it in place.

He pulled it out of his shirt and took it off. It was a semi-pretty scale, nothing that would catch a normal person's eye. With a frown, he looked at the angel she-male, then, with a sigh, he looped the necklace over its head, adjusting it. He pulled back when the head shot up, the golden eyes grew bright, and the world melted around him. He found himself standing on the mountain peak again, blinking. There was no more fog, and he could see all the stars.

"Desmond?"

He looked to see Shaun rushing onto the peak, and he blinked before he was being crushed in a hug.

"Is he okay?" Lucy's voice asked, ringing out.

"He's not dead, is he?" he heard Clay ask, running up the edge.

He felt lips on his, two hands in his hair and a tongue trying to rape his mouth. Not that he minded, he realized, as he curled his fingers in the sage's robes. He grunted when he was pulled back, then crushed again in a hug with a hand cradling his head.

"So if Rikkin doesn't kill him, Shaun will smother him. How cute," he could hear Clay drawl.

Desmond grunted, adjusting slightly to look at the other three. He frowned. Lucy, Clay, and Rebecca were there, but Ian wasn't.

"Ian?" he asked.

He could feel Shaun tense, and all three of them looked uncomfortable. He frowned as the sage pulled away, looking anywhere but at him.

"Did he fall over the edge?"

Clay snorted, crossing his arms. "I wish."

He frowned. He knew that the dark knight was an odd man, but that was a little harsh. Lucy eventually sighed, looking at him. "He was Rikkin. Shortly after you two went up there, he came running down, screaming and looking like the man you said that you saw in the city as he foamed and cursed you and the fog."

Desmond frowned. There was no way Ian was Rikkin. He must have fallen off the edges.

"So, did you get Ultima?"

He shook his head. "I don't entirely know what's going on."

Rebecca sighed dramatically. "Well, I'm going to set up camp here, so, may as well get comfortable."

He sighed, hanging close to Shaun as dinner was prepared. After they had eaten and the others gone to bed, he stood at the edge of the mountain, looking for the old man. He had liked Ian, and Ian had liked him. He frowned when he couldn't even see the body, and he knitted his eyebrows together.

_I can help you find him._

He looked over his shoulder to see no one there. He scowled, looking back down the slopes.

_I can help you._

He blinked, feeling something pressed against his back. "Who is this?"

There was a soft chuckle, and he watched as the world melted around him. He was standing in front of a tiny house, the plains they had walked through surrounding him. It as bright and sunny, and he smiled when he saw Ian sitting in a rocker. He started walking to the old man.

"Ian?"

"I thought you'd never get home."

He jerked to see Lucy standing in the doorway, holding a baby, and he had to do a double take. She looked so much older. He smiled. "Here I am."

She smiled warmly at him, holding out the tiny bundle. "You hold him for a bit so I can start dinner. He's been fussy all day."

He had to blink, but he accepted the baby. Then he realized that _he _wasn't the same either. He was older. He grinned as the baby cooed, and he looked up to find Ian smiling at him.

"You've done well."

He laughed, sitting in the other rocking chair on the porch. The baby gurgled and babbled, and he couldn't help but fall immediately in love with the tiny human. He rocked back and forth, chatting with Ian to find out that he was married to Lucy (and Shaun to the library in the city), but he had his own child, and his power was growing stronger as a summoner. He had to admit that the fact that he was married to Lucy (had a _child_ with Lucy) made him shift , he was recognized across the land for the deed, and so he often stayed at home, preferring to be out of the way of fame. Clay was off gallivanting with Rebecca.

He was content, he realized as he settled back into the chair as the baby fell asleep. He was more than content, and whoever had been talking to him was the best. He could live here forever. He had a house in the plains, Lucy as his wife, Ian living with them as their grandpa. He had a good life in whatever this was. He watched the sun begin to set, only to see someone coming up the way. He frowned. There wasn't much of a path to his house already, and there wasn't one in the direction of the stranger approaching. Still, Lucy called him in to eat, and he rose carefully so as not to wake his son. This was a good life, he mused, an easy life.

The house was small, but homely and hand-built, according to Ian, and the food was good, and as he sat down to eat, he was surprised at how he already felt as if he belonged in wherever this was. He laughed with his wife, talked with Ian, and enjoyed food with the family he had never had. When there was a knock at the door, Lucy went to get it since he was in charge of washing the dishes, but that was okay, because he liked his life.

"Desmond, someone's here to see you."

He frowned, looking over his shoulder as his wife came back in, frowning.

"Says you met not too long ago. I don't recognize him."

He furrowed his brow, finishing with the pot before kissing his wife and walking out. There was man dressed in white robes, with short-cropped brown hair and bright golden eyes. He raised an eyebrow, pacing forward. This man looked familiar. He could even recognize his old necklace sitting around his neck.

"Can I help you?"

_What are you doing here?_

He frowned, folding his arms. It was late night, now, the stars twinkling merrily overhead. "This is my house."

_This is an illusion_.

He shook his head. "No, it's not."

_We need to get you back._

"Back where?"

_Rikkin has grown much stronger during my sleep._

He frowned. "Rikkin is dead. I killed him years ago."

_This is an illusion._

He rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Whoever you are, go away. I have a life here—"

He jerked when he felt some sort of presence behind him. He shivered, watching a shadow build itself into the shape of a man with few distinctive features.

_The child is mine—_

_The boy is mine!_ He watched as the man with golden eyes puff up slightly, looking angry. _Let go of this illusion, Rikkin, or I will force my hand._

The shadow laughed, and he backed up a few paces, closer to the stranger at the sound of that chilling laugh. He had no idea what was going on. He watched as the stranger stepped beside him, and he found himself entranced by his beauty.

_I am never letting him go. I will not suffer injustice a second time._

"W-who are you guys?"

There was a hissing shriek and hand over his eyes, and he yelped, going to attack and squeezing his eyes shut as he felt wind pick up.

_Do not look, Desmond._

He felt himself shrink, followed by two arms wrapping him in the folds of a cloth. He squeezed his eyes tighter as the wind continued to howl, and he could hear the shadow-creature scream. The wind bit at his face, and he felt the folds of cloth cover him, another shriek coming from the shadow-monster. He swallowed, feeling a cold blast hit him in the chest, crawl over his entire body, and the next thing he knew, he could feel his eyes roll back into his head.

When he woke, he could feel his head in someone's lap, and he grunted as he tried to reach to rub his eyes. That had been a bizarre dream. He grunted again when his arms wouldn't work.

"He's awake," he heard Malik say.

He opened an eye to see all five of the gods staring at him and the headdress of Ultima.

"And Rikkin had him?" Ezio growled.

"He's grown too strong," Robert hissed. "Much too strong."

"That doesn't matter," Cesare said, laughing. "We have the trump card. No one can stand against Zodiark's judgment."

"Let him rest," he heard murmured, and he looked to see that his head was in Ultima's lap, and the man's feet were free, his wings stretched behind him and capturing his attention. They still shimmered, even though it was night, and he could see the light of the skies playing in his wings. They twinkled and shimmered, and he wanted to touch them badly.

With a groan, he closed his eyes as he felt a hand brush through his hair. He wanted to sit up, but his muscles wouldn't move. He could feel Altair massage his head, and his eyes fluttered open briefly.

"Not yet, kiddo," Ezio said, sitting by him.

"Rikkin's magic still has to wear off," Kadar said, kneeling beside Ultima and smiling at him. "He tried to pull you into an illusion."

"Huh?"

His eyes fluttered closed at the feel of the angel's fingers combing through his hair. He sighed softly.

"Where are the others?"

"Still sleeping," Shiva said with a laugh. "It was only a couple hours."

He hummed, falling silent. His head was a little muddled, still a little swimmy and disoriented, but as those fingers carded through his hair, he could feel his mind clear. It was as if Altair was pulling out the magic. He probably was. He wondered if he could touch those wings.

"What next?" he asked.

_We go to the underworld and defeat Rikkin._

He nodded minutely. "Can we?"

"With the power of Zodiark, we can," Cesare growled.

"Will you guys be set free?"

"We already have," Malik murmured.

"Then will you be turned back to normal?"

There was a quiet thread of laughter through the group. He could feel those wonderful nails trail down his neck and under his shirt, softly raking over his chest and causing his muscles to twitch.

"I'm not so sure I want us to be turned back," he heard Malik say in an amusement-laden tone.

"Why?" Robert hissed.

"I like the idea of Altair lifting his skirts for me."

Those nails twitched, and he winced internally as a pang of magic shocked him.

"Careful, novice. Did those years alone make you _lose_ your abilities to control magic, while the rest of us grew stronger?"

He felt the fingers curl against his stomach, heard Ultima inhale deeply, and then felt the fingers uncurl and continue until they hit his waistband before coming back up and trailing over his arms.

_It would pain me to kill you before we kill Rikkin, Malik,_ he heard Altair murmur. _So I suggest you keep your commentary to yourself._

"You haven't the heart to kill me," Ifrit sneered.

_No, but I'm sure Cesare does, and his power is rival to mine in darkness._

Cesare snorted. "No point in killing an ally just because you're not going to lift your skirts for him."

"That was a good punishment," Malik said, and Desmond could hear the mirth as he felt the fingers curl over his. "Quiet a blow to the pride. Only good thing they did was make you dress so womanly. It suits you."

He could feel Ultima's breath on his face and those fingers still curled around his. He swallowed and prayed the god wouldn't shock him again.

"Hey now," he heard Shiva say. "I happen to like the clothing I've been given."

There was an outburst of laughter, and he opened his eyes to look at Shiva as Ultima's fingers trailed back over his arms before repeating the entire torso again.

"You guys are just jealous because _we_ look good in it."

He saw Malik snort, the two billows of smoke making him smile. "Whatever you want to believe, brother. I am not jealous of you at all."

He laughed quietly, and he could see the hint of a smile on Altair's face as the angel watched him. He smiled at the holy god. He thought that he could do this.

_You can_, he heard ring through his head. _This is what you were born to do, just as all adventurers are—only you will end it completely._

He grinned as he flexed his fingers, then curled his arms, then tried to sit up. He could lift his upper chest, but from the waist down he couldn't move. He frowned.

_Be patient_.

He lay back reluctantly, realizing that Altair was going to stick his hands on his legs. That would feel awkward.

"Look at him, always ready to go!" Kadar said happily.

"As much as I hate to admit it," Cesare began, "he was a good choice for a summoner."

"I _told_ you," Kadar said, looking at him smugly. "_I told you_."

"Kadar," Malik growled. "Shut up."

Desmond yelped when he felt Altair's hands slide down his pants and his face turn bright red, and he could feel his muscles twitch beneath the god's hands. The others roared with laughter, and Desmond scowled, unable to help the blush. He could feel his lower legs twitch even though his fingers weren't there as the fingers rested on the knees, and he could _feel_ the magic being drawn from his body. As soon as Ultima's hands were out of his pants, he sat up, bending his legs. He felt amazing.

He jumped when he heard a string of curses, followed by a, "Useless fucking gods bloody well keeping us all up all fucking night, so damn noisy…"

He couldn't help but laugh, and when he saw Shaun's sleepy brown eyes glaring at him, he realized something. It wasn't particularly stunning, but it pinpointed the awkwardness he had first felt when he saw that he was married to Lucy and had his own child. He realized even though that illusion was great, he didn't actually want that. He liked Shaun. He liked everything about Shaun. He liked Shaun inside and out. He was happy with that boy. Shaun growled, glaring at the gods before flopping over.

"We should let them sleep. Tomorrow they have a big day," Ezio said. "I assume you're watching them tonight, Altair?"

The man nodded, and Desmond was quick to hop over to Shaun's sleeping bag and crawl in as the boy fussed and huffed. He curled up and peeked over the sage's chest to see Altair rising, the dress falling around his ankles and showing his (almost feminine) feet decorated with gold bangles. He watched the angel look to the skies, the wings stretching out as he searched it. Shaun's arm crawled around his waist, and he smiled at the boy, looking back to see Ultima watching him. He grinned, and the angel looked away, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. He watched him twist his ankles, flexing his legs. He wondered how long the god had been bound.

"Altair," he found himself saying.

The angel looked at him, wordlessly asking what he needed.

"Just what happened in the war of the gods?"

Altair blinked, then shook his head.

_Sleep, and you will dream._

He could feel his eyelids get droopy after that, sleep dragging him forcefully into its embrace. His stomach tightened as he prepared for dreams.

"Will…" he yawned. "Shaun… get them?"

He could hear Altair chuckle as his eyes closed.

_If you wish_.

He hummed, falling asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

When he woke next, he was standing in a battlefield. He could see waves of magic rain down upon the two sides, fire and smoke coloring the sky and the land. He could hear shouts and voices, and it was then he realized it wasn't so much as a war, but a battle. And it wasn't random people he was seeing, but _his_ gods, before they were infused with the elements. He was entranced by the fighting, watching as the war raged on. He could see a man in white robes with the same wings as Altair running into a castle. He followed, watching as he disappeared around corners and ran deeper into it, until he hit the dungeons and met up with a man in a black cloak.

"To Zodiark," the black-cloaked man murmured, sounding like Cesare, and Desmond watched as they dashed off.

He jumped when the ground shifted, and he was standing in front of a jury. He could see four of his gods, Ezio, Kadar, Malik, and Robert shackled and bound. Kadar was the first to be forced forward.

"How do you plead?"

"What would it matter? I'm still going to be sentenced. Go ahead: do your worst. You only won because you shut away Zodiark—if you had any reason to be confident that your leadership was good and wise, you wouldn't have done that!"

There was a snarl, and Kadar snarled back before shackles appeared on his wrists.

"Consider yourself bound to the crystal of ice—bound forever!"

Kadar laughed coldly as he started to change. "You think that will hold me? Humans will set us to right!"

He laughed as his skin turned blue and his clothes changed. Afterward, he disappeared, and Malik was shoved forward. With a roar, he managed to pull one of his arms out of the chains, only to be bound by magic before he could actually move.

"For your insolence, you shall have that arm removed. As well, for your fiery temper, you will be imprisoned in the crystal of fire. Be gone."

He howled, and Desmond's eyes widened as he watch the man twist and contort as he transformed into Ifrit. Ezio accepted his fate with a defiant look, and Robert went with a hiss and a fight. Cesare, Lucrezia, and Altair were brought forward together. Cesare and Lucrezia were bound together at the waist for their incestuous relationship, sentenced below when they tried to fight. They sentenced Altair at the same time, and they raged. Desmond watched with fascination as they spat out a curse in a language he'd never heard of. He could see the gods trying them screaming as Cesare and Altair disappeared. He watched as they melted into nothing, and he blinked, waking to the early morning sun in his eyes.

He sat up, looking around. Even though he had felt awake throughout the dreams, he felt well rested. He felt energized. It must have been Ultima's sleeping spell. He wiggled out of the sleeping bag and walked over to the edge of the mountain, looking out over the land. Brilliant shades of warm colors danced across the never-ending plains. Pinks and oranges, yellows and reds blended together perfectly, and he drew his cloak tighter around him, grinning. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see something like this. There were no clouds obscuring his vision, the birds in the distance as black Vs.

He jerked when he felt Shaun press against him from the back, burying his face in his neck and grumbling. "Bloody fucking… Cold damn mountain…"

He grinned, letting Shaun rest his weight against him. He felt the sleeping bag wrap around his shoulders, and two arms draw him in close. He leaned back into the embrace, their weights keeping each other upright. He could feel the boy slowly wake completely, basking in the silence that surrounded them as the others slept.

"What is so fucking important that you had to wake early? I was having _incredible_ dreams," Shaun mumbled, and Desmond shivered when he felt teeth nip at his neck, followed by a hot tongue licking the spot.

"I woke up after seeing what Altair would let me see of the war among the gods. And I'm glad I did. Look."

He could feel Shaun press his cheek against his ear and stare out at the sunrise. "It's beautiful."

Desmond hummed in agreement. "Did you dream about the war of the gods?"

"I had a dream _about_ war. And two hooded figures."

He chuckled. "So Altair _did_ let you see the war of the gods."

"That was the…"

Desmond hummed again. "Yup. I asked him, and he let us see."

"Desmond…"

He blinked, then turned to look at the boy behind him, only to be surprised by a passionate pair of lips on his, and when Shaun pulled back, the summoner could see the joy in them.

"Thank you."

He grinned. "No problem."

He settled back in his arms, and when Altair appeared beside him, he looked at the beautiful god. The man was frowning, his arms crossed, and he pulled back when the look was directed at him.

_You'd best free us soon._

"What happened?"

The god looked away, scowling, and he looked to the other side when he heard Malik's derisive laugh.

"Going to curtsey for me and call me, 'Master?' Or should I just bend you over and remove your panties?"

Altair hissed, and Malik roared with cruel laughter, his arm wrapped around his middle as the flames became whiter and hotter.

"You're an excellent woman, Altair," Ifrit said after he calmed down.

Desmond flinched at the turn and the glare that would kill anyone else if it were directed at them. The fire god just smirked, planting his hand on his hip.

"Oh, did I push a button? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you _enjoy_ taking it up—" There was a silence, then a snort from him as he waved a hand dismissively. "The boy has heard worse."

"What's going on?"

Malik met his gaze with a smirk. "Altair is simply mad he has been forced to dress like the position he takes it in."

"What?" Desmond asked, looking between them.

He heard Shaun snigger, and he turned to look. The boy was trying not to laugh. Desmond furrowed his brows.

"What's going on?"

Malik placed his hand on his head and ruffled his hair. "You'll know soon enough."

_As if he ever will._

Desmond scowled. He wanted to know what he would know. Shaun smoothed a hand up his thigh, and the summoner looked to see a rather darkly amused expression.

_Are you ready for the final fight today?_

He turned and looked at the angelic god, the remains of his flustered appearance still hanging in the pink on his cheeks. He nodded. "We can do this. I know we can. How do we get to Rikkin?"

_I will take you there._

Desmond nodded. "Are the others up? I want to get moving."

Altair and Malik vanished, and it wasn't too much longer before he was pacing anxiously as the others finished breakfast.

"Why are you so up and at'em today?" Rebecca asked, rising and dusting off her pants.

He wiggled. "We're gonna finish this. Today."

He paced about some more, not noticing the silence that filled the air. Shaun was leaning on his staff, watching him interestedly, and Rebecca seemed to be thinking. It was Lucy who spoke first. She rose, giving him a piteous look.

"Desmond, it's time you stop this nonsense. Those monsters we fought were all well and good, but Rikkin doesn't exist, and those summons you call 'gods' are no more than other summons."

"Lucy's right, Des," Clay said as he finished. "I must admit, though, it's been a fun trip with you guys. All this hocus-pocus makes me believe a little more in magic."

Desmond was frozen in his spot, staring at Lucy, astonished. Lucy shook her head, looking at him. He couldn't believe what was coming from her mouth. And Clay—well, Clay must have poisoned her mind. Clay must have convinced her it wasn't real.

"This adventure has been fun, Desmond, but it's not real. It's exciting that you found a chain of summons that all knew each other, but—"

He backed up a step, his eyebrows furrowing as he began to panic. This was not what he was expecting from his friend.

"I don't know what you're dithering about," Shaun hissed. "Of course it's real! How could you doubt that—"

"I don't know," Clay began, digging his sword in the dirt. "Perhaps the fact that _Desmond's_ the only one this shit has been happening to? Or, perhaps it's the fact that _apparently_ there's actually a heaven with gods—_that act like children_. Yup. I'd totally believe happened."

He backed up another step, feeling mortified that his _best friend_ would say these things. He turned around, looking in the complete opposite of her, and stared at the rocks on the side of the mountain. He felt Shaun's hand on his shoulder and jerked away as that niggling feeling of doubt came back and his chest _hurt_. His own best friend wasn't going to come with him.

"Desmond, don't listen to them," he heard Shaun whisper.

"I'm doing it!" Rebecca said, grinning like a shit. "There's no telling what more we'll find!"

He turned his head to see Ultima standing there, hazy, like a fog, and he met the golden gaze sadly. The angel-god closed his eyes, his head bowed forward, and then, with a quick turn and a thrust of his hand, the god appeared completely. Desmond turned to see Lucy and Clay blinking, wide-eyed, and Altair's lips twitched.

_We must end this. Now._

Desmond nodded, and so did the others, Lucy and Clay as if they hadn't just disagreed. Malik appeared, as well as the other gods, all of them watching him for approval.

"We need to act before he destroys us from the inside out as he tried with Lucy and Clay," Ezio growled.

"Right," Desmond said, looking at his friends. "Ready?"

They nodded, and the summoner looked at Altair, who met his gaze levelly. He nodded and watched as the world melted away.

He found himself standing with his friends in a large round cave, the walls stretching ominously above him as he looked around. Shadows were cast over every crack and crevice, moving and twisting as the light at the edge of the platform moved. He swallowed as he heard the shadows hiss with laughter, bubbling and roiling as he watched them play on the sheer walls. He jumped when one of them shrieked with laughter, actually leaping at them. He watched it leap onto the floor, thin, scraggly arms pulling a bulbous, fat body quickly, and he stepped back as he saw large white teeth come out of the body gnashing and screeching.

He jerked when Malik came out of nowhere, crushing it beneath his heel and looking around at the room. "This has been the Hell Rikkin is subjected to?"

_No,_ he heard as Altair appeared behind him, _this is the platform we will slay him on. Beneath our feet lies the lake of fire._

"I can't hear any screams," Lucy said.

_Nor will you hear them._

Desmond frowned, stepping forward. "Come on then, Rikkin! Fight us! Or are you going to send another old man after us?"

"My apologies."

He whipped his head around, Shaun stepping beside him as the others crouched into a fighting position. There was that same man from the city sitting on a throne of sorts, the cushion made of fire and the frame made of sliming ooze. The man rose, dressed in a pinstripe suit, his cape sweeping behind him, and Desmond thought he could see bat-like wings. The man had slicked-back black hair, and those creepy blue eyes that were giving him nightmares. He swallowed, gripping his staff tightly and stepping forward.

"I wasn't expecting company. The domain does need order, however chaotic it happens to be."

_I'm not surprised it's you that took over._

The man looked at the angel-god, giving him a cold smirk. "You should have known caging me would have no effect."

Ultima walked over to Desmond and stood at his side. _No, but you shall be condemned forever more, Rikkin._

The man laughed, his eyes glinting. "Then show me your power, children, and be amazed at the power of evil!"

Desmond crouched into a fighting stance as the man let his cape drop and two large bat-wings appear behind him. Lucy, Clay, and Rebecca were all stepping closer together, and he couldn't help but straighten. There was no point in fearing what he could beat. The demon stepped forward, smirking, and Desmond watched, wondering who to summon.

"Holyga!" he heard Shaun shout, and he could feel the peace of holy magic surround him as white flashed before his eyes.

He frowned when the man didn't even stagger—not when Shaun used Holyga, not when Lucy used her kick, and not when Clay used Souleater. He frowned, meeting the man's eyes. Those damned lips curled into a smirk as Rebecca walked up and checked him for items, finding nothing. Rikkin was waiting for something. He almost seemed to be sizing them up. Then it hit him: he was judging their power. He was biding his time to see what they could do.

With a grin, Desmond held a hand out. "Sylph."

The little fairy lit upon his fingers, and Rikkin quirked an eyebrow.

"Desmond, what are you doing?" Shaun hissed. "Summon Ultima."

"I can't," he responded, grinning. "For that matter, I can't feel the other gods here, either."

The others backed down. Lucy sent a cautious glance over her shoulder. "Desmond?"

"Hi, Leonardo," Desmond began. "Wanna help us out? I think Clay could use a little strength."

The fairy smiled. "Of course."

He jerked his hand up to help the fairy take off, and the little man landed on Clay's shoulder, restoring all his strength.

"Come on, Rikkin," Desmond said, taunting. "Show us what you really got. You saw what we have."

The man chuckled. "Pathetic."

And he couldn't keep the butterflies from his stomach as the walls lit up in fire, the shadows shrieking as they disappeared and the rock melted. He saw the walls explode, demons of all kinds screaming as they appeared, stepping over one another and trying to reach them. His lips pulled into a frown, and he dismissed Leonardo, only to find he wouldn't leave.

He felt Altair's hand on his shoulder as Rikkin started to melt, his skin dripping away to leave hollow darkness. Black smog emerged from his pores, and he could see two points of gold that sent a shiver down his spine. He could see other souls pressing against the side of the smog, their faces thin and gaunt and their eyes sinking into their heads as their jaws fell away. He gritted his teeth, his hand tightening on the staff. Their wails hurt his ears, and he flinched as he gathered his bearings from the high-pitched noise.

The wave of demons was stopped by a wall of lava, and he watched as the other gods he had accumulated appeared. They all looked set, forming a ring at the edge of the platform to fend off the masses. He swallowed when the Wyrdhares appeared and the Mandragora family appeared—when the chocobo and the Tonberry appeared. Rauf and Leonardo stood behind them, healing. He wondered if there was any summon left for him to fight with.

_Your only concern is with me, Desmond._

He looked to see Altair staring down at him, and he nodded, stepping back to let the angel-god take his place. Lucy and the other had already figured out that their normal attacks, the kick and the Souleater, weren't going to work. Rikkin had been watching and learning, making himself immune to the attacks. Still, he admired as Ultima closed his eyes to concentrate on a spell, they were pounding away at the cloud-thing regardless.

He saw Ultima's eyes flutter and a large beam of white magic pierce through the cloud, sending shockwaves through the ground and engulfing the other smaller demons. The cloud itself dispersed momentarily, and he could see the pain the other souls inside it were in. He watched the thin, bony fingers emerge from the smog, screaming to get out, and he flinched. Altair focused again, and Desmond watched as the cloud exploded in a mass of tendrils, lashing out and piercing through his friends. He could see them shudder, Clay and Rebecca falling to their knees as the tendrils retracted, and even Altair taking a blow to the stomach. The cloud stretched out thin, then snapped back together. Desmond watched as it produced undead, and the zombies walked toward them, groaning and hissing as they stumbled forth to destroy.

He jumped when Ultima repeated the attack, giving momentary reprieve to his allies and letting the healing gods catch their breath. The demons screeched as they were pulled into the ground, and Desmond swallowed. He watched as Rikkin began to transform again, cursing wildly as the cloud solidified. The cloud melted into the ground, forming a large lump of dirt, and the summoner yelped as large spikes came out of the ground, striking Altair dead on and grazing the back of his leg. He turned to see the blood ooze from the wound, and when he saw Shaun on the ground, his eyes grew wide, and he rushed over.

He picked up the boy and held a hand to his mouth, exhaling when he felt breath. He pulled Shaun back to the healing gods and watching as the spikes exploded from the ground again. Altair was beginning to look haggard, and Desmond felt terrible. He couldn't do anything except summon. He winced, stepping back over, and he could see Lucy and Clay kneeling, exhausted and weak. Rauf couldn't heal them fast enough, so Desmond scowled, stepping off to the side and cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Hey, ugly! I'm the one summoning the god that's gonna whup your ass!"

There was a lull, immediate and powerful.

"Desmond, are you crazy?" Rebecca shouted. "You can't handle—"

The monster roared, and he moved out of the way as a tendril shot at him. This was no different from that crazy Al Mualim. He rolled again, and he watched as Shaun rose from under the tendril, staggering before straightening and going back into the fight.

"Over here, stupid! You missed!"

He dodged again, and watched as his friends were slowly brought back to health and started to fight again. Rikkin was focused entirely on him.

"I thought you were a powerful fiend! You're easier than my mom, and she's dead!"

There was a roar, and Desmond laughed as he rolled out of the way, blocking a hit from a thick tentacle with his staff. He had to hold out until Altair was healed as well, but the others were busy healing the other gods, who were fighting off another wave of demons.

"Desmond, are you—"

He could see Shaun hushed by Altair and dodged another tendril. He grunted as he rose from the roll, stumbling a step as the ground lurched, and he tumbled to the ground. He scrambled to his feet just before the spikes rose up, and he ran back to Altair, only to see that Rikkin had vanished.

They had won. He gasped for breath as he grabbed onto Ultima's dress, and he didn't see the panicked look on the man's face. Lucy and Clay were laughing, rejoicing, and he couldn't help but grin. He laughed, pressing his face against the god's middle, swallowing as he felt the happiness bubbling inside him. The demons had retreated, and the walls were reforming. The other gods were backing off, and he was still laughing.

He stood, backing a bit and looking to see Ultima's worried face.

"Altair, we did i—"

His words were cut off when he felt something sharp pierce his stomach, and suddenly, his feet weren't on the ground and his vision was swimming as he registered something in his stomach. He blinked, realizing he was impaled on a spike, and that blood was _his_ blood trickling down the length of that thing.

The spike vanished, and he fell, unable to feel anything as Altair caught him. Everyone was in an uproar, and he couldn't feel anything except warm lips pressed to his fingers and an arm around his waist, holding him. He could see the dark red seeping into his clothes, but it didn't even register that he was bleeding out, just that he had been impaled and that was _his_ blood. He was _bleeding_. Rikkin wasn't dead.

"Well, I win. Again."

He could hear the murmurs in his ear, a hissed language he didn't know, and he could feel his fingers curl in his wound—and they came away _wet and warm, and that was his blood._ He blinked, seeing the necklace he had had for almost fifteen years in his hand, which was covered by Ultima's hand, and all of it was covered in blood, and those words were still being whispered in his ear.

Then, he winced when the scale exploded into gold, and he was on his feet, filled with renewed vigor as he wielded his staff. Then, as if on impulse, he was dancing out a summon he had never known, spinning the staff around him as if he had trained his whole life. He could hear Altair behind him saying something.

He stepped forward as his staff twirled in an arc, and he raised it above his head as the world melted from the cave to the sky above the city. He was spewing curses, but he could see as the sky ripped in two, revealing a large, black hole. Rikkin was trembling, and he could see that Altair's wings were moving like mad as his hands were pressed together and his eyes were closed as he prayed.

There was a loud screech, one that pierced through him and made him move quicker. He saw the sky explode, strands of black shooting from the hole like jelly and sticking to the buildings as it crawled, eating the houses and the warping the sky as he felt the scream in his bones again. With a hiss, he threw his arms and head back, and he could feel part of his soul separate as he convulsed.

"Desmond!"

He felt his legs give way, and his energy leave him. He could see Altair land in a pile beside him a ways off, hunched over and staring blankly at him for just a minute.

_We did it._

He looked at the sky to see a small dragon-like creature thrashing in a restraint, and he could hear the people below wonder what was going on. He rested his hands on his stomach and closed his eyes as he heard Rikkin scream. His eyes fluttered open again to see Rikkin being crushed into oblivion, screaming and striving to escape as he was destroyed, and his eyes flickered to his hand, warm and covered with fresh blood, and he closed his eyes, letting his hand fall to his side as he told himself Rauf would heal him.

When he opened his eyes next, he was in a small room. He felt well rested and finally at peace. He exhaled softly, curling his fingers into the soft sheets. Desmond looked around, noticing the plain walls and Altair sitting beside his bed, dressed in white robes with a crown of beautiful flowers and still-green saplings. The god looked at him, nodding.

_Thank you._

He smiled, the memories still fresh in his head of the fight, and he sat up slowly. He noticed that he was dressed in a plain white shirt and pants.

"Where are my clothes? My staff?"

Altair chuckled quietly, rising and sitting beside him. He noticed the tiny wings were still attached, even though he was free of his binds, and the six wings still fluttered behind him. White pants peek out of the robes with brown boots.

_You've outgrown them._

"You're kidding me. We just—"

_That was two years ago._

He blinked, looking at the god and staring. Altair studied him, and Desmond's eyebrows scrunched together as he looked at his hands.

"Two… years?"

He felt the god place a hand on his leg, and he gritted his teeth. There was no way that he had been in a coma for two years.

"I thought Zodiark delivered justice! Where's the justice in putting me to sleep for two years for _saving _youguys_?"_

_There's no telling what runs through its mind. But what he does is for the best._

He clenched his fists, biting the inside of his cheek, hard. "But… two years? Do my friends even remember me?"

The god chuckled. _Yes. You are not forgotten. The entire world lies in wait for your awakening._

"I don't care about—"

He looked when he heard footsteps and harsh breathing at the door, and Shaun was standing there, looking beaten-down and worse for the wear. There was a disbelieving look on his face, and Desmond offered a tiny smile as Altair moved back to his chair. There was a breathless sob, and then he found himself being crushed in a hug as Shaun hissed and cursed into his shoulder.

He stayed there, letting Shaun squeeze the life out of him. Eventually, the man pulled back, and he was surprised at the tear streaks down his cheeks. He yelped when he was punched square in the jaw. Perhaps he should have just died, he thought as he clutched his jaw and glared at the man. Or perhaps he was dying, he mused as the hit was followed by a deep kiss that he never imagined would ever happen in his lifetime. Hands fisted in his shirt, and he felt himself pull the man in closer, practically eating the other man's face.

He inhaled deeply when Shaun pulled back, and grinned. "Interesting thing to wake up to."

"Two years—bugger! Figures you'd wake up the moment I take to teaching courses in black magic at the academy!"

"Academy?"

Shaun made himself at home in his lap, filling him in on everything that had happened. It turned out that his friends were teaching at an academy in the city, and after the fight, Rikkin and his followers had been crushed. Altair and the others were restored to the heavens as he and his group had been lifted to the earth. Desmond's wounds had been healed, and the sky had been a lovely explosion of different colors, but he had been put into a coma.

And it was probably for the best, too, Shaun had conceded, because the city had undergone a lot of reconstruction, the buildings partially destroyed. There was a temple now for the gods near this house, and they were expecting Desmond to work on it when he woke. But, the temple was built now, and he was still expected to work there, but as a priest more or less. They were all waiting with baited breath for his awakening. Lucy, Clay and Shaun had taken up jobs at the school a few miles away, and Rebecca was off perfecting the art of treasure hunting with a group of novices that wanted to learn. Lucy and Clay were married (Desmond was _glad_ he had been out for that part), and Shaun had been watching over him while he slept.

Perhaps, Desmond thought, Zodiark had been right to put him asleep for two years. Especially since the marriage of Lucy and Clay was recent. Still, he wrapped his arms around Shaun's waist and rested his forehead on the man's shoulder. He felt Shaun turn around, straddling him to rub his back as he cradled him. It hurt to know his crush was married to another man, and he was only glad he had been out. He could hear the man shush him, rubbing his back as he started crying softly. He couldn't help it. For _years_, he had been dreaming of getting married to her.

Eventually, he stopped his soft crying, holding Shaun tightly. This was not what he wanted to wake up to. Sure, he had agreed to try a relationship with the sage, but he hadn't expected it to go anywhere, and he was still expecting the man to eventually leave him. He was still expecting to have a child.

He was even more fortunate that Shaun seemed to understand that that was what he thought, and he was probably the luckiest guy on the plant that the man _didn't_ leave him. He could feel Shaun's new robes bunched in his hands, and there was the scent of old libraries, something masculine, and the definite smell of magic that tickled his nose. It was comforting.

"Has it really been…"

He felt a hand cup the back of his head and the other arm wrap tightly around him.

"It has, Desmond, and I've not been lying to you."

He was quiet a moment more. Then, he laughed breathlessly, once, and pulled back to look at the man. Shaun _looked_ older. He reached up and touched the sage's cheek, noticing the tiny amount of pressure against his hand when the touch was leaned into. His dreams of Lucy were crushed now, and he needed to start moving forward—starting with giving Shaun everything he had, if the man still wanted him.

"And you waited for me all this time?"

Shaun snorted. "I know, a stupid move on my part—"

"Why?"

"W-what?"

"Why did you wait?"

He could feel his stomach twisting, and he was sure Shaun was going to say that he wasn't, just happy, and he had already found someone else, someone who loved him without a _female_ causing trouble between them. The sage was giving him a blank look.

"It's been two years, Shaun. Surely you've found someone else. You said that we were all famous, so surely—"

"Bloody fucking idiot," he heard him mumble, and he laughed, his stomach knotting tightly. "I don't want anyone else."

"Why not—"

"Why should I? You've given me more in under a year then what people have given me in nineteen years of existence."

He blinked. This man made no sense. He couldn't understand why, if the adventure was over.

"The adventure is over. Why bother waiting for me?"

Shaun blinked again, and he waited patiently, frowning when the man rolled his eyes. He felt his arms wrap around his neck, and watched as he leaned in and kissed him firmly.

"You are such an idiot," the man murmured. "Why trade in? I'm _happy_ with you."

"But you could be _ecstatic_ with someone else."

"Who then?"

"I don't know. That's why you fish around."

"What if I don't find anyone?"

"You don't know that you won't."

"But what if I don't, and you do? Then I'll be left without someone, and I don't fancy that happening."

He frowned when Shaun trailed his hands over his chest, shuddering involuntarily. "But surely—"

"Desmond, I'm staying with you. You're a magnet for trouble. There's no telling what will happen."

He didn't understand. Shaun was going to waste his life with him. He didn't get it. Still, he thought when the man kissed him again, pushing him down onto the pillows of the bed and deepening the kiss as hands wandered.

"I told you. He's going to be dominated. Just. Like. You."

_Shut up, Malik. You always knew how to ruin the moment._

They both jerked, and Desmond realized that Ultima was still in the room, only now, there was a man with both arms and short-black hair. He was dressed in black robes and pants, brown boots, and he looked familiar. Altair had said Malik. He blinked—there was no way that _this_—

"Ifrit?"

"He figured it out fast than I anticipated."

"Ultima said your name."

"That makes no difference for some people. You're alive and well, now get up and go out. There's too much for you to do for you to continue lying in bed, useless."

He chuckled and pulled Shaun back down. "But I can think of better things I could be doing than going outside."

It lasted all of two seconds before he heard Ezio's familiar chuckle. "You should let the boy spend some time with his lover. After all, he was the only one who left in the middle of a class when he heard Desmond woke."

"He has too much to do!" he heard Kadar's voice ring out.

He looked to see the young god in what appeared to be grey robes and pants. Ezio was wearing black robes like Malik's. They all looked so human. There was nothing elemental about them now. They looked human.

He yelped when he felt Kadar pull him out of the bed, right from under Shaun, who also yelped and fell on top of him, dragged off the bed with a loud "thump." The sage hissed loudly, and Desmond groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. With a sigh, he rose and helped his lover up.

"Looks like we won't get rest until we do what they want, hm?"

Shaun swore, and Desmond couldn't help but laugh as he grabbed his hand, linking their fingers together as they walked down the stairs and out of the house. The people went into a tizzy, and he soon found out he _hated_ the popularity. After just a few days, he was sick of the people, sick of the temple, and sick of all the time he had to spend away from Shaun. He wanted to live a life he wanted. He wanted to move out of the city, away from the popularity, away from the people, and away from Lucy and Clay. They were so disgustingly happy with each other that he couldn't stand to look at them. He could write letters if Lucy wanted to keep in touch, but he felt _betrayed_ and had no reason to stay in the city. He needed to get away from it.

So he coerced Shaun into moving onto the plains with him, building a house with help from the gods and Valefor. It was hard, and it was tedious, but Desmond loved every minute of it. There weren't many people, save for an occasional visitor, and the weather was beautiful, and the fiends were calmer, more like animals. He had the Mandragora family, the Wyrdhare, and the chocobo help him start a farm, and while it was work, he enjoyed it. Shaun also liked the idea of getting to stay at home instead of working at the Academy, and by the time it was done and he was officially settled in, Desmond had never felt so proud of himself. And when Rebecca agreed to sleep with him and gave him a child, he thought that Shaun was going to kill him with the nerves and excitement he couldn't contain.

There were few visitors, even fewer problems, and it was, essentially, just him, Shaun, the baby, and their farm in the plains. Desmond was okay with that. It allowed him to live a peaceful life, and the gods still came and kept him company—even Cesare and Robert, although that was few and far between. The days were passed with lazy comfort in the house and hard work in the fields, and Desmond grew more in love with his life, with his child, and with Shaun as every day passed.

The first time he bent Shaun over the kitchen table, he couldn't help but smirk victoriously as he pounded into the man, and he swore he could feel Malik's disapproving stare every time he topped. Altair was proud, although he would never show it, and Desmond found himself becoming more at ease with the god with every visit. Things were well now in the heavens, and the gods were beginning to take a larger role in the world. Of course, he also knew he had Altair's special blessing.

He lived a good life.

It just took the adventure to help him figure it out.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. All right. Now it's done. I didn't mean to hit complete, but I would have forgotten otherwise. Sorry. Anyway, if it's worth your time, I'd love to know what you thought.<strong>

**...**

**...It's soooooooo long.**


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